In the 1970s, nearly all of Bohol had no electricity. Electrifying every municipality, barangay, and sitio felt like an impossible dream-until August 11, 1971, when BOHECO I was born. Not from profit, but from purpose. Not by investors, but by Boholanos themselves, determined to power their own future.
Powering with Purpose
Mandated by RA 6038 and PD 269, and later RA 10531, BOHECO I was tasked to bring electricity, even to the most remote and economically unviable areas. This mission demanded unspeakable sacrifice, indomitable spirit, and heroic resolve to light the darkest corners. To defy the odds. To rewrite the story of an entire province.
Pioneer employees crossed unforgiving terrains, rugged mountains, tricky rivers, rough seas, and dense forests, often under the threat of insurgency. They conducted house-to-house campaigns, encouraging families to join BOHECO I, and collected payments door-to-door. They were visionaries, the unsung heroes who refused to accept that some lives were too far to matter. Their contribution wasn’t just immense; it was the very heartbeat of a province’s breaking free from darkness.
One by one, communities that once relied on gas lamps and firewood began unlocking boundless possibilities. It was a quiet revolution, one that didn’t happen overnight but unfolded steadily. One town at a time. One life at a time. Until darkness became only a memory.
Lighting the Last Mile
By 1989, all 26 municipalities in the coverage area were energized, a milestone but not the finish line. On December 15, 1998, the last of 592 mainland barangays (El Salvador, Carmen) was lit. A year later, on December 23, 1999, the final two of 11 island barangays (Cuaming and Hambongan, Inabanga) followed. Finally, on July 31, 2008, Sitio Tokis, Villafuerte, Carmen became the last of 3,751 sitios to receive electricity. Still, BOHECO I remains committed to helping the government achieve its goal of total household electrification by 2028, because no Boholano should ever be left in the dark.
More than Power: A Province Transformed by its People
This is more than a success story. This is a Boholano story: the soul of Bohol, etched by its people, ignited by their sacrifice, and powered by their dreams, rising from humble beginnings to become a world-class tourist destination.
Long before power became a business, it was a promise: a promise kept by BOHECO I, a Boholano-built, people-powered electric cooperative that serves, not sells; gives, not gains; and exists for people, not profit. And together, we have come so far. Yet, our story is far from over. The light ahead shines brighter than ever before.
As BOHECO I turns 54, let this anniversary be a tribute to the past, a celebration of the present, and a bold invitation to the future. This is not just a celebration; it’s a defining moment, a testament to the power of people before profit, and a province that dared to electrify its destiny.
We are BOHECO I – blazing lights, soaring heights, always serving you to light and delight!
Issued by the Corporate Communications and Social Marketing Office of BOHECO I Email: ccsmo.boheco1@gmail.com