BAGUIO CITY – Members of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) approved a resolution requesting the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to increase the number of kilowatt-hour consumption of senior citizens and persons with disabilities that will be covered by the mandatory discount enshrined under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.
The resolution was unanimously approved by the nearly 6,000 members that attended the Baguio leg of the cooperative’s Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) held at the Baguio City National High School auditorium last Saturday.
Earlier, the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens Association expressed their disappointment over the limited discount being provided them by the BENECO in their monthly power bills when the law mandates that senior citizens are entitled to a 20 percent discount for goods and services.
However, Leo Belingon, BENECO consumer welfare officer, informed senior citizens that based on the approved guidelines implementing the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, senior citizens having a power consumption of 100-kilowatt hours and below will be provided a 5 percent discount on their monthly power bills.
He claimed the rules and regulations were crafted by concerned government agencies pursuant to the provisions of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act that is why BENECO is according the senior citizens the prescribed discount provided the meter of their residence is in their name.
Based on the approved resolution, the senior citizens proposed to the concerned government agency and the regulatory bodies that the 100 kilowatt-hours which will be subject to the 5 percent discount be increased to at least 200 kilowatt-hours to allow them to enjoy the benefits of the discount.
The group of senior citizens claimed because of the rapid advancement of information and communication technology and the emergence of numerous devices, the 100 kilowatt-hour consumption that is discounted is too small and only a few of them stand to benefit from it, thus, concerned government agencies and the regulatory body be mindful of their plight and increase the coverage of the 5 percent discount to more than 200 kilowatt-hours so that they will have the chance to fully enjoy their benefits enshrined in the law.
Sources disclosed the reason why senior citizens have huge power consumption in their residences is the fact that their children, grandchildren, and other relatives stay with them in their houses that is why their monthly power bills exceed the limited number of kilowatt-hours that will be subjected to the mandatory 5 percent discount.
The approved resolution will be transmitted by BENECO to the energy department and the ERC for their information, guidance and further needed action with the hope that higher authorities will heed the call of senior citizens of increasing the power consumption covered by the mandatory discount for senior citizens.
By HENT
