House of Representatives approves bill granting BENECO franchise

The House of Representatives approved on the third and final reading a bill that seeks to grant a franchise to the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) on Wednesday, August 7.

Once passed, House Bill 10483, authored by Baguio City Rep. Mark Go and Benguet Rep. Eric Yap, will allow BENECO to construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power within the city and the larger Benguet province for another 25 years.

BENECO’s current 50-year franchise under the National Electrification Administration to operate as an electric distribution utility will end in 2028, after it was granted in March 1978.

At present, BENECO covers Baguio City and all 13 towns of Benguet, providing power to a total of 269 barangays.

Rep. Go acknowledged BENECO’s steadfast commitment to serving the residents of Baguio and Benguet for 50 years and sought to ensure uninterrupted service to its communities.

The Baguio City congressman cited BENECO’s performance as the top-performing electric cooperative in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), earning a remarkable 99 percent performance rating.

In 2019, BENECO secured its International Standardization Organization (ISO) certification 9001:2015 2019, achieving the highest quality standards in management and quality service.

“The passage of this franchise ensuring BENECO’s continued service is long overdue, and I am grateful and pleased that my colleagues at the House of Representatives understand the cooperative’s impact in powering our rural communities and ensuring widespread electric coverage in our towns across Benguet and Baguio City,” Rep. Go said. “BENECO has consistently provided the most affordable on-grid rate, and has consistently displayed exemplary performance in widening the reach of our rural electrification efforts and creating sustainable countrywide development,” he added. ### (PR)