BAGUIO CITY – The National Electrification Administration (NEA) earmarked some P100 million from this year’s annual budget to energize some twenty three sitios within the franchise area of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) to sustain the implementation of the government’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).
BENECO general manager Engr. Melchor S. Licoben said that P50 million was already released to the cooperative and is now being used to energize some 15 sitios that are mostly located in Tuba and Sablan towns where the said projects are set to be completed by March next year.
He added that the second tranche of the funds amounting to P25 million is due for release in the future and will be used to energize some six villages in Tuba while the remaining P25 million will be dedicated to energize and fix the power lines in Kayapa, Bakun and Tacadang, Kibungan.
BENECO was able to energize 100 percent of the 128 barangays in Baguio City and 140 barangays in Benguet which are all within its franchise area while only 80 to 85 percent of the sitios had been provided with power.
The BENECO official pointed out that it is difficult to project the actual number of sitios that were energized because there are a number of sitios that continue to emerge annually because of the migration of people and the expansion of the areas being developed within the cooperative’s franchise area, particularly in the 13 towns of Benguet.
According to him, BENECO will continue to lobby for the inclusion of more funds that will be downloaded to the cooperative to sustain the implementation of the government’s rural electrification program as envisioned more than five decades ago.
Licoben explained that the construction of the roads leading to the remote villages of Kayapa and Tacadang will allow the cooperative to adjust the location of the electric poles and power lines so that it will follow the roads that were constructed unlike in the earlier set up where the power lines had to pass over the mountains that affected the reliability of the lines and the quality of power delivered to the consumers in the said communities.
To him, it is difficult to project the number of sitios that will still be energized because there are always new sitios that emerge annually that often are faster in expansion compared to the ongoing implementation of the government’s energization program.
BENECO was able to pioneer the implementation of remote communities when it acquired a P100 million loan with the NEA to initially energize numerous sitios to contribute in spurring growth and development in the countryside. In 2011, the NEA used as its basis BENECO’s implementation of the government’s rural electrification program to craft the metrics for the overall implementation of the SEP.
BENECO was able to regain its Class status after it was earlier downgraded because of the previous leadership crisis despite the presence of numerous non-viable areas within its franchise area where the said areas are located within the different parts of Benguet.
Licoben asserted that BENECO remains steadfast in the implementation of the government’s rural electrification program to bring cheap and quality power to the rural areas and contribute in spur socio-economic development in the far flung areas so that people will be able to have increased economic and sources of livelihood of the people. By Dexter A. See
