BAGUIO CITY– Lawyer Esteban Somngi, who is serving as the Director of District I of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO), was formally chosen as the new president of the Board of Directors of the rural electric cooperative for the year 2020.
Somngi, who traces his roots to Bontoc, Mountain Province, will be presiding over the succeeding meetings of the Board of Directors, the policy-making body of the electric cooperative, and will serve as the erstwhile head of the same for the year.
Also chosen to hold other position in the Board are District 4 Director Luke Gomeyac – vice president, District 10 Director Enrique Moresto – secretary, District 8 Director Josephine Tuling – treasurer, District 9 Director Robert Valentin – auditor and District 2 Director James B. Aclopen – Public Relations Officer (PRO). The other members of the Board of Directors are District 6 Director Mike Maspil, District 5 Director Peter Bosaing, District 3 Director Rocky Aliping, District 7 Director Jeffred Acop and District 11 Director Fr. Jonathan Obar.
The board’s committee on finance and purchase will be chaired by Director Maspil while Director Somngi will also chair the committee on contracts, laws and policies.
Director Moresto will serve as chair of the committee on membership, management, personnel and services while Gomeyac will chair the ways and means committee.
Aliping, who was Somngi’s predecessor, will chair the BENECO board’s technical committee for the current term.
Somngi disclosed that under his leadership, the policy on transparency and accountability will be enhanced aside from pursuing the implementation of the cooperative’s pro-poor policies wherein those who have less in life should have easier access to the electrical services of the cooperative.
He said that he will be going around the different local governments within the BENECO franchise area to establish a closer relationship between the electric cooperative and the concerned localities to ensure that indigent residents will be able to have access to electrical connections so that they will enjoy the benefits of having quality power.
BENECO is the existing franchise holder of power distribution in Baguio City and Benguet wherein its franchise will expire by the year 2028.
“We will continue to be aggressive in ensuring that our electric cooperative will continue to cater to the needs of our less fortunate brothers and sisters, especially access to cheap and quality power, for them to be able to enjoy the benefits of stable power,” Somngi stressed.
The new BENECO board president pointed out that having electrical connections should not serve as an excuse for the local government not to implement whatever rules and regulations governing the existence of illegal structures considering that those that will be provided with electrical services will be required to sign pertinent waivers stating among others that BENECO will be freed from any liability in case there will be future legal actions that will be taken against them.
