Despite the turbulent situation in Mindanao, National Electrification Administration Chief Edgardo R. Masongsong pushed through with his trip to Lanao del Norte on May 27 to be with electric cooperative consumers for 41st Annual General Membership Assembly and 45th founding anniversary of the Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc. or Laneco.
The twin events drew around 11,000 Laneco member-consumer-owners or MCOs in attendance at the Mindanao Civic Center Gymnasium, as the administrator shared updates on the NEA Rural Electrification Program.
Masongsong informed the Laneco MCOs about the strides it has taken leading up to the recent formation of the National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers Inc. or NCECCO, with a plan to establish its own bank.
NCECCO is a movement seeking to unite over 11 million power co-op patrons nationwide, lobbying for cheaper electricity rates as endeavored in the five-point electricity program of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and the nine-point energy policy of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi.
Masongsong also administered the oath of office of three newly-elected members to the Laneco Board of Directors, as well as the membership of those in attendance to the 41st AGMA.
Laneco is a Category A electric cooperative and classified as “mega large,” serving 19 municipalities in Lanao del Norte. It is currently led by its BOD president Elmira Olavides and project supervisor/acting general manager Sherwin Mañada.
According to the March 31 data of the NEA, Laneco has accomplished at least 73 percent or 93,294 of its estimated 127,500 potential connections. It also achieved 100 percent collection efficiency during the first quarter of this year, and energized all 407 barangays and 858 or 74 percent of the potential 1,167 sitios in its area of coverage.