Notwithstanding the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, National Electrification Administration (NEA) Chief Edgardo R. Masongsong pushed through with his scheduled trip to Lanao del Norte on May 27 to join electric cooperative consumers for the 41st Annual General Membership Assembly (AGMA) and 45th founding anniversary of the Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LANECO).
The twin events drew an estimated 11,000 LANECO member-consumer-owners (MCOs) in attendance at the Mindanao Civic Center Gymnasium, with whom the administrator shared updates on the NEA Rural Electrification Program.
Masongsong informed the Laneco MCOs about the strides the NEA has taken leading up to the recent formation of the National Center of Electric Cooperative Consumers, Inc. (NCECCO). The NEA head also informed them about the NCECCO’s plans to establish its own bank.
NCECCO is a movement that seeks to unite over 11 million power coop consumers nationwide towards lobbying for cheaper electricity rates, as envisioned in the five-point electricity program of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and the nine-point energy policy of Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi.
Aside from this, Masongsong also administered the oath of office of the three newly-elected members to the Laneco Board of Directors (BOD) as well as the membership of those in attendance to the 41st AGMA.
LANECO is a Rated A electric cooperative and classified as mega large serving 19 municipalities in Lanao del Norte. It is currently headed by its BOD President Elmira Olavides and management staff headed by Project Supervisor/Acting General Manager Sherwin Mañada.
According to the March 31, 2017 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 1st quarter of this year and energized all of its 407 barangays and 858 or 74 percent of the potential 1,167 sitios in its area coverage.