It is a painful irony that in Baguio and Benguet, provinces blessed with rivers and towering hydroelectric dams, we cannot even buy the electricity generated in our own backyards at fair, community-benefiting rates. Instead, our power is exported elsewhere, while we pay higher prices and struggle to secure our own energy future.
Adding urgency to this injustice is a looming crisis: BENECO’s franchise, the legal authority that allows it to distribute electricity in Baguio and Benguet, will expire in 2028. If we do not act, we risk losing not just a cooperative, but our community’s control over its most essential service.
The threat to BENECO is not new. There were several attempts to forcibly take over BENECO management, the latest happened in 2021 and has shaken public trust and created instability — not because BENECO failed, but precisely because it succeeded. For decades, BENECO has been among the top-performing electric cooperatives (ECs) in the country. It has maintained low systems losses, offered competitive power rates, and consistently delivered reliable service even under the constant challenges of typhoons, landslides, and other force majeure events.
But BENECO is more than a utility company. It is a pioneer of community-driven development. Long before government programs expanded, BENECO championed sitio electrification — bringing electricity to remote barangays and indigenous communities that private, profit-driven corporations would never even consider reaching. Where others saw little to gain, BENECO saw a duty to serve. It proved that electrification was not just about profit, but about nation-building — about empowering the most isolated communities with the dignity of light, opportunity, and connection. The BENECO sitio-electrification program became the blueprint adopted by the government.
This is the spirit we stand to lose if we allow BENECO’s franchise to slip into the hands of private interests. A corporate takeover would prioritize shareholder returns, not community needs. Decisions affecting our power rates, service quality, and rural development would be made by people who may have never even set foot in our communities.
This is why we look for allies in congress. Philreca stands for electric cooperatives and the millions of Filipinos they serve, fighting for policies that strengthen community ownership and protect affordable, accessible electricity — especially for rural and indigenous communities who are too often left behind.
This is not asking you to abandon your support for other party-lists you believe in. Just simply asking you to consider including Philreca among your votes. Since only one party list can be selected per voter, perhaps in a family of five voters, two can choose Philreca while the others support their preferred groups. However, whatever party list you ultimately support, it is important to choose those who truly have the best interest of the people at heart — especially when it comes to securing our electricity supply and renewing BENECO’s franchise.
Reliable electricity supply and distribution is a right of every IP in Baguio and Benguet. Supporting Philreca is supporting BENECO. Supporting BENECO is protecting the future of Baguio, Benguet, and the countless sitios that once dreamed of having even a single lightbulb — and now shine brightly because a cooperative believed they deserved it and they delivered.
When the time comes to cast your vote, remember what is truly at stake: not just electricity, but empowerment, dignity, and control over our own future. Let us make the wise choice. Let us stand with Philreca. – This is an opinion piece CCT
