Customers of the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) can expect a more reliable, resilient, and modern power service in 2026 as the electric cooperative rolls out major infrastructure upgrades, capacity expansion, smart metering, and improved customer service systems aimed at meeting the fast-growing demand for electricity across Baguio City and Benguet.
According to the Network Services Department (NSD) Manager, Engr. Fraiser Angayen of BENECO’s biggest investments for 2026 are the continuing installation of insulated or tree wires along critical backbone lines, particularly in heavily forested or mapuno areas prone to tree-related outages. With a project cost of ₱42 million, the program will cover 13 kilometers of backbone lines and directly benefit around 41,000 consumers.
Priority areas include Feeder 8 with three kilometers of backbone lines covering large portions of Baguio City, such as City Camp, Bakakeng, Rock Quarry, Sto. Tomas, and parts of Tuba; Feeder 12 with four kilometers from Military Cut-off to Camp 7; and Feeder 14 with six kilometers from Camp John Hay to Loakan. The insulated wires are designed to significantly reduce power interruptions caused by vegetation, wildlife, and harsh weather conditions.
Another major milestone this year is the commercial loading of BENECO’s newly installed 50 MVA power transformer at the Lamut–Beckel La Trinidad Substation, scheduled on January 16. The ₱50-million transformer will augment the old 20 MVA, bringing a capacity of 70 MVA, addressing the sharp increase in power demand, and ensuring a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Consumers under Feeders 11, 12, and 14, as well as some areas under Feeder 1 Beckel, are advised of a whole-day scheduled power interruption to facilitate the loading.
Once fully operational, the new substation power transformer will greatly enhance BENECO’s system flexibility, allowing power diversion or load transfer between nearby substations such as Irisan, North Sanitary Camp (NSC), and Lamut during outages or maintenance.
“While some projects may require temporary sacrifices such as scheduled power interruptions, these ‘investments’ are necessary to ensure a stronger, more resilient power system for our consumers in 2026 and beyond.”
With this upgrade, BENECO’s total system capacity now stands at 225 MVA, strengthening grid distribution reliability across its franchise area.
The present capacity will be sufficient until 2036 based on present demand forecasts, and will also depend on how we can complete the uprating of the remaining 13.2 KV in Benguet’s northern areas to BENECO’s 23 KV system in south Benguet and Baguio City.
BENECO will also resume its linemen training program to augment its existing manpower to address the immediate implementation of the cooperative’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) projects and to address complaints/outages, especially in the far-flung areas of Benguet.
In line with continuing modernization efforts, BENECO will also proceed with the roll-out of an additional 4,000 Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or smart meters in 2026, funded by a ₱24 million budget.
The first batch of 200 meters is expected to arrive by February, according to System Planning and Design Officer Mario Calatan. AMI meters enable accurate, real-time meter reading and reduce human error as well as remote disconnection and reconnection.
Tests conducted in previous testing installations, in Barangay Pinget in Baguio City, have shown reliable performance, although billing is still being manually delivered while BENECO reviews regulatory rules on digital bill distribution set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the government regulator.
To further strengthen power supply reliability in northern Benguet, BENECO will continue the conversion of distribution lines from 13.2 kilovolts (kV) to 23 kV along the Halsema Highway, benefiting around 3,000 consumers. With a project cost of ₱20 million, mainly for transformers and insulators, the conversion will allow substations such as Lamut, Atok, Sinipsip, Buguias, Bulalacao, and Mankayan, to better back up one another, improving system reliability and load sharing.
On the customer service front, the cooperative is also intensifying efforts to expand online bill payment options to ease long queues at collection centers.
According to the Non-Network Services Department (NNSD) Manager, Engr. Ramel B. Rifani, BENECO, is actively working with partners such as BDO, ECPay, and DragonPay, while promoting GCash as a convenient and affordable payment option, especially in remote areas where internet connectivity has improved. The cooperative is also negotiating to lower convenience fees to encourage wider adoption of online payments.
With the planned AMI roll-out, BENECO is likewise studying digital bill delivery options such as email and SMS, in close coordination with the Network Services Department and the Management Information and Communications Systems (MICS).
This move is expected to further streamline billing, reduce paper use, and improve customer convenience, pending compliance with Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines being studied.
“These projects reflect BENECO’s strong commitment to continuously improve service quality, system reliability, and customer convenience,” BENECO management said.
“While some projects may require temporary sacrifices such as scheduled power interruptions, these ‘investments’ are necessary to ensure a stronger, more resilient power system for our consumers in 2026 and beyond.”
