BAGUIO CITY (February 14, 2025) -- The Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) Board of Directors (BOD) began adopting a paperless system, aligning with global environmental efforts. The BOD of BENECO held its first digital meeting last January 16, 2025. "The board's digital shift is a significant effort by BENECO to uphold our Zero Waste-No Single Use Plastic company policy," General Manager Melchor Licoben, who spearheaded the cooperative's Zero Waste initiative in 2023, partnering with Zero Waste Baguio, Inc., a local environmental NGO, said.
"Centralized emails have eliminated the need for four to five reams of bond paper previously used for preparing and reproducing the BOD's meeting agenda and minutes for each meeting," said Jeffered Monang, secretary to the board. Monang earlier had been reproducing an average of 23 copies of the agenda and minutes, including attachments.
This shift not only significantly reduces BENECO's carbon footprint, but also saves the cooperative thousands of pesos spent on paper, ink, toner, photocopying, delivery, and gasoline, Licoben beamed.
Accordingly, the carbon footprint of one A4 sheet of office paper ranges from 0.0043 to 0.0047 kg CO2e, and paper production accounts for 1.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. A box of bond paper containing five reams costs an average of P1,050, while a photocopy machine toner costs around P5,000.
BOD Chairperson Atty. George Dumawing, Jr., initiated discussions about transitioning to digital meetings and agenda preparation in October last year. "During my time with Task Force BENECO (interim board), I noticed that meeting agenda and minutes were piling up and taking up space in my office," he recalled.
The board recognized the immediate benefits and convenience of digital technology, including instant online delivery of the agenda, easier review of discussion points, and readily accessible files on a finger's click .
"We can now access our files anytime, anywhere, without carrying heavy stacks of paper. It's more convenient and faster," said District 2 Director Joseph Zambrano. BENECO vowed to continue to embrace greener ways to streamline operations, cut cost, improve customer service while protecting the environment.
