BAGUIO CITY – The management and Board of Directors of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) and the different MultiSectoral Electrification Advisory Councils (MSEACs) of the different districts formally launched the massive information and education campaign (IEC) on the proposed conversion of the rural electric cooperative to a stock cooperative under the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), a stock corporation under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or remain under the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
The revival of BENECO’s conversion to a stock cooperative, stock corporation or remain as status quo was upon the marching orders of the NEA in order to get the pulse of the member-consumers of the 107 remaining NEA-registered cooperatives on what will be the status of their respective electric cooperatives.
Experts on CDA-registered cooperatives, NEA-registered cooperatives and SEC-registered stock corporations will be invited to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the three options during the series of district level and clustered consultations relative thereto in the next two months prior to the scheduled referendum for three consecutive Saturdays on September, particularly September 12, 19, 26.
Earlier, BENECO had subjected the proposed conversion of the electric cooperative to a stock cooperative twice over the past fifteen years but the consumers have overwhelmingly rejected its registration with CDA.
Last Saturday, member-consumers from Districts I, I, II and III joined the scheduled consultations which were simultaneously done at the Camp 8 covered court, San Vicente covered court and Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Elementary School, respectively, while member-consumers from Districts IV, V and VI will be having a chance to listen to the experts on the scheduled consultations at the Guisad Central barangay hall, Padre Burgos covered court and East Bayan Park covered, respectively, on July 11, 2015 around 9 am.
In order to ensure that a good number of consumers will be able to attend the consultations, BENECO organized simultaneous clustered consultations among the different barangays which will be held on August 29 in different venues around the city.
For Cluster 1 Of District I composed of barangays Salud Mitra, Cabinet Hill-Teachers Camp, Marcoville, Engineers Hill, DPS Compound, South Drive, Greenwater Village, Military Cut-off and Hillside, the consultations will be done at the DPS Compound covered court while the venue of Cluster 2 barangays, particularly Santa Escolastika, Scout Barrio, Upper Dagsian, Lower Dagsian, Gabriela Silang, Atok Trail, Loakan-Apugan, Camp 8 and Baguio Country Club, will be at the Camp 8 covered court.
Cluster 3 barangays composed of Happy Hallow, Outlook Drive, Lucnab, Mines view, Pucsusan, Gibraltar, Lualhati, Pacdal and St. Joseph Village will have their consultations at the Pacdal covered court.
For cluster I of District II composed of barangays PMA-Fort del Pilar, Kias, Loakan-Liwanag and Loakan Proper, their consultations will be held at the Kias covered court while cluster ii barangays composed of San Vicente, BGH Compound, Phil-Am, Imelda Marcos, Balsigan, Camp 7 and Poliwes will be held at the San Vicente covered court.. Cluster II barangays composed of SLU-SVP, Bakakeng Norte/Sur, Bakakeng Central, Sto. Tiomas Proper, Dontogan and Sto. Tomas School area will be holding their consultations at the Bakakeng Central covered court.
On August 31, barangays belonging to District III and Iv will be having their clustered consultations wherein cluster I of District III composed of barangays Rizal Monument, Burnham-Legarda, AZCKO, Kayang Extension, Palma-Urbano, MRR Queen of Peace, Lourdes Extension, City Camp Central, Lourdes Proper and Lower Lourdes Subdivision will be holding their consultations at the Lourdes Extension gym. Cluster II barangays such as Asin road, Dominican-Mirador, San Roque, San Luis, Upper Rock Quarry and Middle Rock Quarry will be conducting their meeting at the Asin covered court while cluster III barangays Lower Lock Quarry, Cit6y Camp, Lower QM subdivision, Upper QM subdivision, Ferdinand Marcos, Sto. Rosario Village, Upper Rock Quarry and Middle Rock Quarry will be holding their consultations at the Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo covered court.
Cluster I of District IV composed of barangays Camp Allen, Cresensia Village, Andres Bonifacio, Guisad Central, Guisad Sorong, Pinget and Pinsao Pilot Project will be holding their consultations at the Guisad Central barangay Hall. Cluster 2 barangays such as Pinsao Proper, Fairview, Quezon Hill Proper, Middle Quezon Hill, Upper Quezon Hill, Victoria Village and Campo Filipino will be having their consultations at the Middle Quezon Hill covered court. Cluster III which is barangay Irisan will have its consultations at the Irisan barangay hall.
On September 5, cluster 1 of District V composed of barangays Kagitingan, Teodora Alonzo, New Lucban, ABCR, P. Zamora, Kayang-Hilltop and Upper City Market Subdivision will be having their consultations at the Slaughterhouse Compound covered court. Cluster II barangays P. Burgos, Upper Magsaysay, Sto. Nino Slaughterhouse, Magsaysay Private Road, Lower Magsaysay, Antonio Tabora and Happy Homes will join others at the P. Burgos covered court. Cluster III barangays such as Dizon Subdivision, Camdas subdivision, Lower Quirino Hill, Middle Qirino Hill, West Quirino Hill and East Quirino Hill will hold their consultations at the Middle Quirino Hill covered court.
Cluster I of District VI composed of barangays Trancoville, South Sanitary Camp, North Sanitary Camp, Lopez Jaena, Aurora Hill Proper, North Central Aurrora Hill, South Central Aurora Hill, Bayan Park Village and San Antonio Village will hold their consultations at the North Sanitary Camp covered court, Cluster II barangays which are Ambiong, Brookspoint, West Bayan Park, East Bayan Park, West Modernsite, East Modernsite, Brookside, Imelda Village and M. Roxas-Teachers Camp will hold their meeting at the M. Roxas-Teachers Camp barangay hall. Cluster III barangays composed of Holy Gust Proper, Honeymoon-Holyghost, Holygost Extension, Upper Gen. Luna, Lower Gen. Luna, Kabayanihan, Session Road, Harrison-Carantes and Malcolm Square will be meeting at the Holy Ghost Proper barangay hall.
By Dexter A. See
