THE LIGA ng mga Barangays of La Trinidad is asking the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) to continue the repair and maintenance work on streetlights in the town until December 31, 2019.
On May 24, the league passed Resolution No. 01 series of 2019 requesting the electric cooperative to extend repair and maintenance work to allow the municipal government and the barangays time to make necessary appropriations to train and hire personnel and purchase equipment and supplies.
On September 13, 2008, Beneco entered into a contract to maintain streetlights in the municipality, obligating itself with its own expenses to provide the necessary labor and materials for the maintenance or repair and total replacements of broken, busted and dilapidated streetlights.
However, the electric cooperative manifested it will no longer do repair and maintenance work of streetlights.
"With the sudden decision of Beneco to renege on the contract, the local government unit (LGU) is now tasked with the repair and maintenance of streetlights," the league stated.
The resolution said the municipality does not have technically competent personnel, equipment and supplies to effect such repairs as it had transferred such functions to Beneco in 2008 by virtue of the contract.
La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda added that for 2019 there is no budget allotted for the maintenance of the streetlights.
In the resolution, Liga ng mga Barangay recognizes the municipal government is in the same dilemma of not having appropriations for the repair and maintenance work on streetlights.
“It does not have the required manpower to do repair work nor does it have necessary equipment and supplies,” the resolution further added.
“The LGUs failure to make prompt repairs to non-functioning streetlights put at risk the safety of our respective constituents from crimes and accidents.”
The LGU also requested all the barangays to prepare for the inevitable influx for repairs and include in their respective budget such expense. The LGU requested also the barangays if necessary, to do the repair and maintenance work themselves if they have the capacity to do so.
For the previous year, the barangays have appropriated amount for the payment of streetlight electric consumption but has no appropriations for the repair and maintenance of their respective streetlights.
The resolution, which was approved by Liga ng nga Barangay president and Councilor Charles Canuto and signed by the members, was forwarded to the Board of Directors of Beneco for their consideration.