BAGUIO CITY – The Congress Committee on Legislative Franchise has approved the consolidated renewal of Benguet Electric Cooperative’s franchise with minor adjustments, incorporating elements from Baguio City Rep. Mark Go’s House Bill (HB) 6145 and Benguet Rep. Eric Go-Yap’s HB 9402.
“We are very grateful to the Committee members of the Legislative Franchise Committee for finally approving the proposed HB of Cong. Go together with the HB of Cong. Yap. The committee members present during the committee hearing even agreed to co-author the consolidated HB. Their co-authorship is very important because the committee approval is only the first step, our journey in getting our franchise renewal still has a long way to go. After this we still have to hurdle the Plenary and eventually the Senate approval,” newly appointed General Manager Melchor Licoben said.
Licoben led the contingent of top BENECO Management with Task Force BENECO Interim Board, supported by the officers of the Electric Cooperative – Member Consumer Owners United (EC-MCOU) group led by its president Dane Ducayag.
They attended the Committee hearing last Monday at the Lower House.
BENECO’s 50-year franchise ends by March 2028.
In anticipation of the difficult and long process, Licoben’s management team has started working on the franchise renewal as early as three years ago.
“We also need to find a champion in the Senate. Hopefully after the plenary we will be able to find a champion in the Senate to sponsor or author our franchise renewal. We are looking forward to requesting Sen. [Raffy] Tulfo and Sen. Win Gatchalian being the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Senate’s Committee on Energy. We are also hoping to get the support of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Robinhood Padilla, and hopefully all the other members of the senate,” Licoben added.
Gatchalian has been consistent in his support for BENECO’s survival when the management impasse happened in 2021 during his chairmanship of the Senate’s Committee on Energy.
The crisis that led to committee hearings in both Congress and the Senate prompted Gatchalian to personally visit and assess BENECO’s operations.
His investigation established that BENECO isn’t an ailing electric cooperative, thereby negating the need for a takeover.
Senators Padilla and Hontiveros have also expressed their hearts’ deep connection with the Cordillera region.
Padilla reportedly spent some of his school years in Baguio City.
Licoben also expressed BENECO’s gratitude to the Power-bloc Congressmen Presley De Jesus (PHILRECA Party-list) and Sergio Dagooc (APEC Party-list) for closely working with the co-op on crucial matters like the franchise renewal.
The power-bloc in Congress were vital in bringing BENECO’s struggles to the national leaders attention.
“We still appeal to our MCOs to continue their support. Your resolutions of support are very crucial in the Plenary, more so when it reaches the senate. All sectors of society rallying behind BENECO thru resolutions of support will be an undeniable testament that BENECO has served Baguio city and Benguet province well in the past 50 years, and it deserves to have its franchise renewed to continue serving its MCOs,” Licoben asked earnestly.
BENECO’s member-consumer-owners (MCOs) have benefited from some of the country’s lowest power costs over the last two decades.
The cooperative has consistently received awards from regulatory government bodies in recognition of this achievement.
Additionally, it holds a prominent position among electric cooperatives, earning the highest accolades for its exemplary performance as a triple-A-rated cooperative.
The BENECO Labor Union conveyed their gratitude to Cong. Gus Tambunting, the chairperson of the Legislative Franchise Committee, expressing that their decision felt like an answered prayer.
They emphasized the immense collective joy, likening it to the joy of 50 years’ worth of Christmases combined.
This elation coincides with the celebration of their co-op’s 50th Founding Anniversary, which took place last month.
Share