Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Power coop promises stable power in Baguio, Benguet during polls
THE Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) Inc. assures that there will be stable and uninterrupted power supply during the critical days of the May 2007 synchronized national and local elections.
"We are ready to comply with (the memorandum of the) National Electrification Administration (NEA). We will be appointing point persons in our maintenance and other technical support services to be on a 24-hour standby, and assigning telephone and cellular numbers for contact persons with the National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec)," said Beneco General Manager Gerardo Verzosa.
NEA Administrator Edita Bueno directed Beneco and other electric cooperatives in the country to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the May polls as contained in its first memorandum dated January 2.
Even three months prior to the actual elections, Verzosa already circulated the NEA memorandum to inform his department managers.
Bueno's directive was in compliance with Comelec Resolution 7735 promulgated last October 26.
Electric cooperatives like Beneco are authorized to "shut-off other users of electric power such as industries and large commercial establishments during the election period to about 300 megawatts and allocate these savings of electric power for distribution to strategic areas for use during the critical period of the election."
The Comelec resolution directed all elective cooperatives to "prioritize the electrical power needs at the distribution and retrieval centers, voting and counting places at the precinct level and at the canvassing centers."
Consumer Services Department Manager Lawrence Umaming also gave his assurance that that the prioritization of power allocation to critical areas will not hamper residential and ordinary consumers.
"But of course these areas have to be prioritized as per the NEA directive in support of the synchronized national and local elections. It is mostly our operations and maintenance department that will be on the alert with men and equipments assigned specifically to respond to any eventuality," Umaming added.
