by Juliet B. Saley

BONTOC, Mt. Province - A total of 857 senior citizens in the province are beneficiaries of the five percent discount in their monthly electric bills with the Mt. Province Electric Cooperative (MOPRECO), the province’s main power distributor.

According to Cesaria Kiat-ong of the MOPRECO, the municipality of Bontoc has the highest number with 141 senior citizens who applied for the discount followed by the municipality of Tadian with 139. The town of Sagada has 132 beneficiaries, Bauko with 129, Besao – 128, Natonin – 83, Sabangan – 55, Barlig – 35, Paracelis – 11, and Sadanga with four.

Kiat-ong said application for the discount is still open to other qualified senior citizens.


She said qualified to avail of the senior citizens discount are those whose monthly residential power consumption is not more than 100 kwh. The electric meter must also be registered in the name of the residing senior citizen for a period of not less than one year

Kiat-ong further said to apply for the discount, a senior citizen must submit to their office proof of age such as birth certificate; valid senior citizen identification card (ID) issued by the Office of Senior Citizen’s Affairs (OSCA); proof of residence like barangay certificate and proof of billing (copy of electric bill issued in the name of the senior citizen).

Under the ERC guidelines, the five percent discount will apply only to the following bill components: generation charge, transmission delivery charge, system loss, distribution network charge, retail electric charge and metering charge. *(JDP/JBS-PIA CAR-Mt. Province)