Benguet: After years of relying on gas lamps and solar bulbs, 44 households in two remote sitios of Barangay Ansagan in Tuba, Benguet now have access to electricity. This development occurred as the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) formally turned on the switch, allowing electricity to reach the sub-villages.
According to Philippines News Agency, residents of Sitios Sarisa and Lower Sarisa expressed joy and gratitude during the recent switch-on ceremony led by NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda and Beneco officials. ‘We are thankful because our children can now study at night without worrying about gas lamps running out,’ Marina Garcia of Lower Sarisa said in Ilocano during an interview. ‘We’ve long dreamed of using washing machines to make chores easier and have more time for farm work.’
Janet Dayao, another resident, said the free power connection has made their daily tasks more convenient. ‘Before, our solar lights would fade quickly. Now, we can work longer and even access the Internet for our children’s schooling,’ she said in a separate interview. The sitios, located about three hours from Baguio City through narrow, rugged roads, had been without electricity for decades.
For residents like radio broadcaster Dionisio Dennis Jr., whose grandfather once lived in Sarisa, the milestone is deeply personal. ‘We used a gas lamp and slept early. I remember when there was a boxing match of Mike Tyson, the men would charge car batteries to ensure that the residents would have the chance to see the match,’ he shared. ‘Electrification is truly a light of hope for those who have never experienced it.’
Almeda said during the ceremony that electrification is one way the national government shows its care for people in remote areas. ‘We have been heard by Congress and they support us with funds needed to finance the energization program and bring electricity to the unserved and even in unviable areas,’ he said. He committed to having the remaining few sitios of Ansagan be energized by 2026.
The electrification of Sitios Sarisa and Lower Sarisa was part of the PHP100 million fund released by NEA to Beneco for 2025. Since April, nine sitios in Ansagan, covering 105 households, have been energized, requiring 282 electric poles. About 25 percent of the total fund was used for the two sitios alone.
Beneco general manager Melchor Licoben said the cooperative still needs PHP300 million to PHP400 million to complete sitio energization in its franchise area, which includes Baguio City and Benguet.
Meanwhile, Beneco lineman Jeremy Shagol, who worked on the project, said their team stayed in the area for weeks at a time due to difficult terrain. ‘We faced challenges like steep paths, long distances between homes, and foliage clearing. But it’s worth it – bringing light where there used to be none,’ Shagol said.
Almeda said NEA is determined to meet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of 100 percent sitio electrification by 2028. ‘It’s a gratifying experience to see our brothers and sisters in the mountains,’ he said. ‘Electricity will truly change their lives.’ Beneco’s electrification coverage in Benguet and Baguio currently stands at 85 percent.
