BECA fetes electrification awareness month; unites vs take-over by private entities of local power c

LIBMANAN, Camarines Sur --- Members of the Bicol Electric Cooperatives Association (BECA) converged on Saturday, August 12, 2017 in a show of solidarity to celebrate the National Electrification Awareness Month (NEAM). BECA also took advantage of the event to manifest their support to beleaguered sister-coop, Iriga City-based Camarines Sur Sur III Electric Cooperative (Casureco II) whose franchise area is imperiled by the recent approval by the House of Representatives of House Bill No. 5664 that seeks to grant the so-called Bicol Light and Power Corporation a franchise to operate in the towns of Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi, Bula, Nabua and the City of Iriga, which comprises the same coverage area of Casureco III. More than 70 vehicles, excluding motorcycles, joined the BECA motorcade that made the rounds in the Rinconada Area. The participants bannered and shouted ‘MABUHAY AN RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM! MABUHAY AN RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES! MABUHAY AN MEMBER-CONSUMER-OWNERS!’ to drum up the significant role of the program and the electric cooperatives in national development and people empowerment. According to the participants, the stand of Bicol electric cooperatives, along with other counterpart regional associations in the country, is clear: while it respects the right of other entities to enter into power-related ventures, it will continue to support an ailing sister-electric cooperative against entities that seek to undermine its chances of achieving a turn-around in its operations with this most fundamental reason – that of preserving the access to cheapest power of the marginalized sectors in our society and the electrification of unviable areas which is the real essence of the government’s rural electrification program.