Brief History of LUELCO
The metamorphosis of LUELCO is something monumental and extraordinary to reckon with after 36 years of serving the people and communities.
The government attempt on Philippine Rural Electrification Program was realized through the dynamic initiatives for US financial assistance/grant of then Secretary of Tourism, Congressman Jose D. Aspiras and then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos was a success. LUELCO then was conceived!
Thereon, the La Union Electric Cooperative (LUELCO) was given birth and organized in August 1971 with an initial capital P7,669.00 from the US financial assistance through the created National Electrification Administration. In a form of a Loan Agreement with NEA for LUELCO’s distribution system was signed on September 16, 1971. Afterwhich, the installation of a 5 KVA substation in Sta. Rita, Aringay, La Union in September, 1973. In the same year, it also marked, the contract signing of the Coop’s backbone line; the construction of it’s headquarter for facilities and inaugurated on August 16, 1974 simultaneous with the energization of the first substation.
In October, 1974, the first election of the Coop’s Board of Directors was held as well as the holding of the first Annual General Membership Meeting. Thus, LUELCO rolled-on in its electricity service and it took over the management of small and private municipal electric franchises in the service area.
In its existence as a electricity utility, LUELCO in its early stages was categorized as an “A” cooperative up to 1983; “B” coop in 1983-84; down to “C” in 1986-1987; and bounced back to category “B” in 1987-89.
There were trying times of the cooperative when in 1988 could hardly pay its NAPOCOR bill and there was a cut-off power – the darkest years in the late eighties. LUELCO had to resort to another loan from NEA to pay then, NAPOCOR (now the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines). Another trauma was experienced in July 1990 when the killer earthquake downed and left LUELCO vast damages to its distribution utilities leading to another NEA loan to rehabilitate the electricity lines. Thus LUELCO had to rise and stabilize again.
In 1993-1994, the cooperative regain back its category “B” coop level. The cooperative enjoyed its category “A” from 1995-1999. In 2000 to present, LUELCO was recognized and categorized as “A+” enjoying its “Green” color which symbolizes an electric cooperative that is outstanding in performance.
LUELCO keeps on expanding its service areas and developing. At present, the Cooperative serves a composite of 23 municipalities, one city (24) – four (4) in Pangasinan and 20 in La Union.
It has a total membership of 119,092 with 108,538 house connections as of March 2009. Its real properties are reflected in its six substations that distribute the power requirements and needs of its clienteles’/consumers; six branch offices and two collection offices which are all in the name of LUELCO except in the Balaoan Branch.
LUELCO management has forwarded the Cooperative in to fame , honor and glory as national awards and recognition continuously poured in due to its promotion of the Philippine Rural Electrification Program through the quantum leadership of GM Posadas coupled with his national and international lectures and speaking engagements in different countries.
LUELCO’s transformation to an A+ (green) serves to be a model of other ECs coupled with a degree of enviousness not only because of its unprecedented and dramatic development from a lowly beginning in 1971 and gradually inched its way with the ups and downs towards its majestic status at present.