By Laarni S. Ilagan
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — With four deaths from electrocution recorded in just the first three weeks of January 2026, the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) has intensified its public safety awareness campaign, sounding the alarm over what it describes as a “disturbing and preventable” rise in electrical accidents across Baguio City and Benguet.
Assistant General Manager Artemio Bacoco clarified that the recent incidents involved members of the public—not BENECO workers—and were largely caused by unsafe work practices near energized power lines. He said many of the cases stemmed from construction and installation activities conducted without proper safety precautions or coordination with the cooperative.
Bacoco is rallying all BENECO personnel to take part in an intensified information and awareness drive, stressing that electricity becomes deadly when taken for granted.
The most recent fatalities involved a father and son in Bokod who were electrocuted on January 7 while installing a water messenger pipe near power lines.
Three days later, a house construction worker in Loakan was electrocuted after the GI sheet roofing material he was holding came into contact with a primary line, causing him to fall from a height of about 20 meters.
Another construction worker was electrocuted on January 20 when the steel bar he was bending touched a primary line; he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Data from BENECO’s Health and Safety Office (HSO), under the Assistant General Manager’s Office and the Network Services Department (NSD), showed a 23.81 percent increase in electric shock and electrocution incidents in 2025, with 35 individuals affected compared to 24 in 2024.
The trend has worsened early this year, with multiple incidents already recorded in January alone.
BENECO Safety Officer Ellen Rufino also raised concerns over the increasing number of electrocution incidents involving workers installing solar streetlights.
In Baguio City, just before the Christmas holidays, four construction workers from a large company were installing solar light poles along a road near the Justice Hall parking area when they accidentally came into contact with primary electrical wires.
All four survived but sustained electric shocks and injuries and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, the latest report from Network Services Department–Construction and Maintenance Officer (CMO) Roy Olatic noted an alarming spike in electrocution cases involving solar streetlight installers.
From December 2021 to December 2025, a total of 20 electrocution incidents were recorded, resulting in two deaths. Benguet logged the highest number of casualties at 13, followed by Baguio City with eight, with one fatality recorded in each area.
Speaking during the regular employees’ assembly on Friday, January 23, Bacoco urged all BENECO personnel to act as “safety officers on the ground,” extending their vigilance beyond line workers to the general public. He emphasized that employees who witness unsafe activities near power lines in their barangays and communities should immediately call the attention of those involved and promptly report the incident to BENECO’s technical or safety offices.
“If you see people working dangerously close to power lines, call their attention right away,” Bacoco said. “One warning, one simple reminder, can save a life.”
BENECO data further showed that most electrocution victims are house construction workers, streetlight installers, and individuals trimming trees near power lines without proper coordination with the cooperative. While such activities may fall outside BENECO’s direct operational responsibility, Bacoco stressed that safety is a shared responsibility.
“One life lost is one life too many. Life is precious,” he said, noting that electrocution incidents not only claim lives but also cause power interruptions that place linemen at greater risk during restoration work.
In 2024, BENECO recorded three electrocution-related deaths in Benguet—in Bokod, Tublay, and Bakun—out of 24 documented incidents. Earlier, barely two weeks into January 2025, five electrocution incidents had already been logged, including one fatality in Mankayan and injuries to two construction workers in Tuba on the same day.
As incidents continue into 2026, BENECO reiterated its call for heightened vigilance, particularly in construction areas.
The cooperative urged the public to coordinate with BENECO before working near power lines and appealed to communities and workers alike to heed safety warnings.
“Makibiyang tayo. Maysa lang nga abiso, mabalin nga mangisalakan iti biag,” Bacoco said. “Let us all be alert. Safety is everybody’s concern.”
