MY LOYALTY to BOHECO I runs deep. It begins with its founding leaders, the Provincial Electrification Committee Team (PECT), headed by its first general manager, Atty. Getulio D. Calope, as created by the visionary governor of Bohol, Lino I. Chatto Sr., who appointed my father, the late Atty. Isabelo M. Sales Jr. to a relevant position, during his incumbency.
Gov. Lino was instrumental for the installation of a 900-kilowatt electric generator that provided additional electric supply to Tagbilaran City while passionately pushing the countryside electrification of the province starting with the original nine towns through the PECT, that eventually conceptualized, organized, and aided the development of the Bohol I Electric Cooperative, Inc. or BOHECO I.
From darkness to light
Nearly all of Bohol had no electricity back in the 1970s. It was dark at night, literally, in countless homes. Providing electricity to these homes seemed like a herculean task—until August 11, 1971, when BOHECO I was born.
Mandated by RA 6038 and PD 269, and later by RA 10531, BOHECO I was tasked to provide electricity, even to the most remote and economically unviable areas. The pioneering work was undertaken by employees who braved difficult terrains, rugged mountains, tricky rivers, rough seas, and dense forests, often under the threat of insurgent activities. They undertook house-to-house campaigns, encouraging families to join BOHECO I, and collected payments door-to-door. Their collective contribution wasn’t just immense; it was the very heartbeat of a province that wanted to break free from darkness.
One by one, communities that once relied on gas lamps and firewood began enjoying the manifold benefits of electricity. It was a quiet revolution, one that didn’t happen overnight but unfolded steadily, one town at a time, one life at a time.
By 1989, all twenty-six municipalities in the coverage area were energized, a milestone worth celebrating, but the work wasn’t finished yet. On December 15, 1998, the last of 592 mainland barangays (El Salvador, in Carmen, Bohol) was lit. A year later, on December 23, 1999, the final two of eleven island-barangays (Cuaming and Hambongan in Inabanga, Bohol) followed. Finally, on July 31, 2008, Sitio Tokis in Villafuerte, Carmen, Bohol, became the last of 3,751 sitios to receive electricity.
But the commitment didn’t stop there. BOHECO I remains devoted to helping the national government achieve its goal of total household electrification by 2028 because no Bol-anon should ever be left behind in the dark.
BOHECO I is a community story: The soul of Bohol, engraved by its people, ignited by their sacrifice, and powered by their dreams. There’s nothing that could vanquish a community spirit whose thread continues to be woven by generations of Boholanos since the seventies.
Long before power became a business, it was a promise: A promise kept by BOHECO I, a Bol-anon-built, people-powered electric cooperative that serves, not sells; gives, not gains; and exists for people, not profit.
As BOHECO I turns 54, let us honor our founding leaders, together with its first general manager, who rose to the challenge thrown at them by Gov. Lino, the pioneer workers, the past and present leadership, the dynamic and competent workforce, the consumers, the Boholano community, and even the future generations of Bol-anons who will reap the rewards of a vision realized, for a job remarkably done.
From its early beginnings—under the guidance of Gov. Chatto, in tandem with Atty. Getulio Calope, (incidentally, Manoy Tulio was my grandma Pateria Calope Lungay’s brother on my mother’s side, small wonder why I am loyal to the electric cooperative, huh!), the PETC composed of incorporators Virgilio Chagas, Constancio Doblas, Segundino Mison, Eutropio Gementiza, Victoria M. Chatto, Felimon Aya-ay, Melchor P. Monreal, Jose Lungay, and Simeon P. Luayon, up to the present, BOHECO I continues to stamp its indelible mark in community service and sustainable partnerships in the island-province of Bohol.
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Woman Talk with Belinda Sales is taking a wellness break. You may send your email to belindabelsales@gmail.com. Follow us on X at @ShilohRuthie./PN
