MORE NEWS, BENGUET

Lepanto readies mine rehab

BY MIKE GUIMBATAN JR.

MANKAYAN, Benguet — Mined out areas of the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp. here will be returned to a self-sustaining eco-system.

Officials of the country’s oldest and biggest mining company made this assurance in support to the government’s call for sustainable and responsible mining.

Lepanto has reportedly launched an information-education campaign for the formulation of a final mine rehabilitation-decommissioning plan..

Administrative Order 96-40 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources requires mining contractors and permit holders to formulate and submit FMR-DP with corresponding budgetary allotment.

The FMR-DP shall include a decommissioning plan, a final mine rehabilitation plan, a social plan and a maintenance and monitoring plan.

In compliance, Lepanto mines launched an information education campaign endorsed by the provincial board of Benguet through Vice Gov. Crescencio Pacalso.


Beneco charging cheaper than other power firms
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The consumers of the Benguet Electric Coop. are being charged 70.30 percent OR P1.0042 (peso) less compared to consumers from Manila , Cebu , and Davao .

General Manager Gerardo Verzosa bared this in response to a letter of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, wherein he pointed out that considering Beneco is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative, it has no profit margin included in its computation of the rates it charges to its consumers.

In reference to the findings of the study made by the Freedom from Debt Coalition that “Meralco rates seen to be RP’s highest” published in the August 27 issue of the Inquirer as basis, Verzosa told the Nasecor through its local chapter President Emerita Fuerte, “Beneco member-consumers are better situated than the others, in terms of services translated into the lower rates they pay.”

The FDC study compared Meralco’s rates to other power distributors in urban centers like Cebu (Aboitiz’ Visayan Electric Co. or VECO) and Davao (Davao Light).

Using the data from the FDC published in the Inquirer in comparison to that of Beneco, the Corporate Services Department found Beneco is charging its customers 70.30 percent less than Meralco, 7.90 percent (P 0.113) lesser than VECO, and 2.70 percent (P 0.0379) lesser than Davao Light.

According to the article, the figures in the data were “derived from the electric bills of actual consumers in the Meralco, VECO, and Davao Light franchise areas.

The group (FDC) said according to the power industry experts it consulted for the study, Meralco should actually be charging less than its Cebu, and Davao counterparts as it had greater economies of scale. The MERALCO franchise area is larger, more modern, and more compact…it has more customers per kilometer of distribution lines. Their distribution costs per customer, therefore, should be a lot less than the smaller cities of CEBU and Davao ,” the experts were quoted further.

“Considering the FDC arguments, Beneco should be charging more as its franchise area is smaller, a lot less modern and a lot less compact, especially in the province of Benguet . The terrain is mountainous and has a lot less customers per kilometer of distribution lines. But Beneco, true to its mandate of rural electrification, extended its lines even to unviable areas of Benguet and still charges its consumers less,” Verzosa said.

As of 2006 alone it has spent P17. 5 million to energize 26 sitios in Benguet, 1-Atok, 3-Bakun, 1-Bokod, 5-Buguias, 2-Kabayan, 4-Kapangan, 5-Mankayan, 1-Tuba, 1-Tublay, according to engineering department field services supervisor Artemio Bacoco.