MANOLO FORTICH, Bukidnon – The long-awaited renewal of the franchise of the Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (BUSECO) is gaining momentum in the House of Representatives, with the application now moving through the legislative process five years before the expiration of its existing authority.

The development was disclosed by Engr. Rey-ann A. Baul, manager of the Engineering and
Technical Services Department, in a press conference held on July 25 at the BUSECO Annual
General Membership Assembly in the cooperative’s Manolo Fortich Main Office.
According to Baul, House Bill No. 9643, titled “An Act Granting BUSECO a Franchise to
Construct, Install, Operate, Own, Manage, and Maintain Distribution Systems for the
Conveyance of Electric Power to End-Users in the Municipalities of Manolo Fortich, Libona,
Sumilao, Malitbog, Baungon, Impasug-ong, Malaybalay, Talakag, and Cabanglasan in the
Province of Bukidnon,” seeks to grant BUSECO another 25-year franchise renewal.
The measure was introduced by First District Representative Jose Manuel Alba and the required
documentary submissions were filed with the House Committee on Legislative Franchises on
June 1 this year.
Baul said the bill was officially filed on June 2, followed by its First Reading on June 3. The
cooperative is now awaiting the schedule of the committee hearing, which is expected to take
place in August.
Previous Franchise Renewal Efforts
Before the filing of House Bill No. 9643, previous legislative efforts had also been initiated to
renew BUSECO’s franchise.
Last year, APEC Party-list Representative Sergio C. Dagooc and PHILRECA Party-list
Representative Presley C. De Jesus filed House Bill No. 5551 on October 14, 2025, which
reached First Reading on November 11 of the same year.
Meanwhile, Second District Representative Jonathan Keith T. Flores also filed House Bill No.
6735 on December 9, 2025, which proceeded to First Reading the following day.
However, despite these earlier initiatives, the proposed measures were not able to secure final
approval in the Lower House.

Powering Bukidnon Communities for Decades
BUSECO’s current franchise was granted on June 10, 1981 and is set to expire in 2031. The
early filing of its renewal application is intended to ensure continuity of its operations and
uninterrupted delivery of electricity services to its member-consumers.
At present, BUSECO serves 124,327 registered members with 158,922 household connections
across its franchise areas in Bukidnon.
The multi-awarded electric distribution cooperative has also recorded P2,834,902,816.00 in total
assets, reflecting its continued growth and role in supporting the province’s economic
development through reliable power distribution.
As the franchise renewal moves through Congress, BUSECO officials remain hopeful that the
legislative process will pave the way for the cooperative’s continued service to thousands of
households and communities in Bukidnon for the next 25 years. (melbmadera)