BAGUIO CITY – The City Government sought the assistance of the Benguet Electric Cooperative Inc. (BENECO) in improving the lighting system at Burnham Park.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Wednesday said Councilor Benny Bomogao has written the BENECO board of directors to implement the project under its corporate social responsibility program and this was approved by BENECO General Manager Gerardo Verzosa with a request that the City pay the metered consumption of the streetlights.
The mayor, however, asked that BENECO to install Light Emitting Diode (LED) instead of the High Pressure Sodium (HPS) to make them long lasting and more cost-efficient.
He said the request is now being studied by the board even as Councilor Bomogao will formalize the request in a resolution he will propose to the City Council.
In his letter dated Feb. 9 to the BENECO board, Bomogao noted the present condition of the lighting system at Burnham Park as some areas are not properly lighted, some with lights but with not enough illumination while others have no light at all making the park no longer safe for promenade at night.
“I recall that sometime in 2010, BENECO lighted the whole Burnham Park at no cost to the City with astounding result, a fully lighted park where it was safe to promenade. However, when DOE (Dept. of Energy) implemented its lighting project, the lighting systems installed by BENECO was decommissioned bringing to tis present sad state,” Bomogao said.
Verzosa in his reply addressed to Mayor Domogan, expressed willingness to “refurbish and enliven Burnham Park and recapture its reputation as the City’s main tourist attraction.”
“The electric cooperative humbly desires to provide streetlights, their fixtures and underground wires around the park at no cost to the city. Based on our survey, the area would need 111 pieces of 70 watt streetlights to be mounted on 100 steel poles. The fixtures and poles will cost P3,975,958.16 but BENECO is willing to shoulder the same,” Verzosa noted.
“We request though that the City will pay the metered consumption of the streetlights with the use of four kWh billing meters at various locations. The bill is estimated to be more or less P30,000 a month.”
BENECO board president Rocky Aliping said BENECO is ready to implement the project and has purchased the necessary equipment including the HPS bulbs but will re-study the plan of action in the light of the mayor’s request for LED fixtures which will be formalized via Bomogao’s proposed resolution. /Aileen P. Refuerzo
