City government asked BENECO to include metered lights in its proposal to manage street lights

Mayor Mauricio Domogan wants Benguet Electric Cooperative Inc. (BENECO) to include the metered lights in its offer to manage the city’s streetlights.

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This, as the issue on whether or not to accept BENECO’s offer ended in a deadlock at the city council last Monday due to confusion on the coverage of the metered lights and the use of the light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

“I hope BENECO will consider our request to include both the metered and the unmetered in the management offer to make it more beneficial,” he said.

The mayor, however, clarified that BENECO’s management, if accepted by the city government, will only be on a temporary basis in deference to the city’s plan to pursue other ventures on improving its lighting system.

This would include the plan to enter into a light management deal with a qualified company using the LED technology.

The mayor said the city has finished drawing up the terms of reference for said project.

In 2009, the power firm first offered to take over the operation of the unmetered streetlights from the city engineer’s office and even conducted an experimental management run for nine months to prove the advantages of their set-up.

The experiment indeed showed that BENECO’s management was more advantageous with Councilor Joel Alangsab also attesting that 95 percent of the barangay captains expressed preference for the power firm’s management as it was more efficient and effective.

The city council and the local finance committee however then balked at its permanent implementation due to the added cost it will entail due to the adjustment of the billing system from the original 10 to 12 burning hours which city officials then saw as prohibitive for the city.

But the mayor, who remained open to the scheme, reconsidered the move because of the city’s difficulty in maintaining the facilities causing delays in the replacement of damaged fixtures.

BENECO, in its offer, promised that under its management, the problems presently encountered by the residents particularly the delayed replacement of damaged fixtures and inconsistent switch on and off schedules leading to power wastage will be eradicated. - (PIA / by Aileen Refuerzo)

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