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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Benguet elders seek 20% power rate cut
By Jane Cadalig
SENIOR citizens in Benguet are asking the National Power Corporation (Napocor) to reduce by at least 20 percent the rates billed by the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) per month.
The elders, who took over the reign as officials of the Provincial Government Monday, aired this appeal through a resolution, claiming that constituents of the province are entitled to such a benefit, considering that the corporation is not paying its taxes to the Provincial Government.
They also said Benguet residents have been instrumental in the continued operations of Napocor's power generation plants due to their relentless effort in maintaining and preserving the province's watersheds to sustain these facilities.
"(Since) Napocor is exempted from paying taxes for its real properties used in the generation of energy, the people of Benguet are entitled to some benefits from the proceeds of establishments they are helping to maintain and preserve," said the senior citizens officials-for-a-day.
Benguet plays host to at least three huge power generation plants - the Ambuklao, Binga and the San Roque Multipurpose Dam - located in the towns of Bokod and Itogon, respectively.
The Benguet Provincial Board (PB) earlier supported a resolution from the provincial government of Ifugao, which also asked Napocor to lower the power rates for Cordillera consumers.
The request is premised on the fact that Cordillera is host to several hydropower plants that generate power for Luzon, including the National Capital Region (NPC).
Ifugao provincial officials claim that lowering electricity rates for the region is but a meager way of compensating the Cordillerans' efforts in preserving their watersheds, which is a critical factor in the continued operations of the three giant power plants.
"These power plants form part of the backbone of the Luzon Grid that supplies electricity in Luzon and Metro Manila. (But) it is unfortunate that despite being the watershed and host of these electric power plants, including the dams that keep them operational, power rates in the region are one of the highest in the country," their resolution stressed.
Average power generation charges for Luzon, including CAR, is P5.69/ kilowatt-hour. Visayas and Mindanao amount to an average of P4.92 and P5.48, respectively.
Baguio and Benguet consumers, however, are paying an average of P4.1841/kwh for generation charges, as per the Beneco computation.
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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