The Senate has approved on third and final reading a measure granting Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) a new 25-year franchise to operate and maintain the electricity distribution system serving Tagbilaran City, bringing the utility closer to securing a long-term legal authority to continue its operations.
The measure, Senate Bill No. 1834, was approved by the upper chamber on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. It authorizes Bohol Light to construct, install, establish, operate, own, manage and maintain a distribution system for delivering electricity to end-users within Tagbilaran.
The proposed franchise also requires the company to ensure a continuous and uninterrupted supply of electricity within its franchise area, subject to existing laws, regulations and the supervision of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
The Senate action is particularly significant for Tagbilaran because Bohol Light’s previous 25-year franchise was set to expire on Oct. 19, 2025.
BLCI has continued pursuing regulatory and legislative authority for its operations while the franchise renewal moved through Congress.
House approved measure in 2025
The House of Representatives had already approved the counterpart measure, House Bill No. 4746, on third reading on Oct. 13, 2025. The bill was transmitted to the Senate the following day.
House records identify Bohol lawmakers, including Rep. John Geesnell “Baba” Yap and Rep. Maria Vanessa “Van-Van” Aumentado, among the principal authors of the measure, along with other members of the Bohol congressional delegation.
The Senate version, filed by Sen. Pia Cayetano on Feb. 11, 2026, was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Services. Its long title specifically covers the construction, establishment, operation, ownership, management and maintenance of Bohol Light’s distribution system in Tagbilaran.
The House legislative record now indicates that the measure was passed by the Senate with amendments on Sept. 22, 2026, while the Senate subsequently gave the franchise its final-reading approval.
Franchise does not mean automatic freedom from regulation
The proposed franchise would give Bohol Light the legislative authority to operate its distribution system, but the company would remain subject to regulation.
The ERC describes electricity distribution as a regulated common-carrier business requiring a national franchise.
Private distribution utilities, electric cooperatives, local government units and other authorized entities operate distribution systems subject to ERC regulation under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, or Republic Act 9136.
The ERC also has an ongoing proceeding involving Bohol Light. Its records show that the company filed an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the operation of an electricity distribution system in Tagbilaran, with a request for provisional authority or interim relief. The case was docketed on June 23, 2026.
Thus, congressional approval of the franchise is an important legislative step, but regulatory requirements and ERC oversight remain part of the utility’s operation.
Bohol Light’s history in Tagbilaran
Bohol Light has been the electricity distribution utility serving Tagbilaran for decades.
Bohol Light Company Inc. was organized and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 21, 2000.
The company says it is 70% privately owned, while the provincial government of Bohol holds the remaining 30%.
Its earlier franchise granted authority to provide light and power services for 25 years, with the franchise period running until Oct. 19, 2025.
BLCI’s earlier distribution authority was also subject to ERC regulation.
The utility’s roots in Bohol’s electricity history go back even further.
In 1919, Act No. 2831 created the Bohol Electric Light Company and granted it authority to install, operate and maintain an electric light, heat and power system in the province.
The law required the company to begin supplying electric current, at least in Tagbilaran, within a specified period after acceptance of the franchise.
Razon group took majority control
The franchise renewal comes after a major change in Bohol Light’s ownership.
In 2024, Primelectric Holdings Inc., a company associated with billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.’s power-distribution group, acquired a 70% stake in Bohol Light from SPC Power Corp. and other minority shareholders.
The provincial government retained its 30% ownership.
Primelectric said at the time that it planned to invest at least P1 billion to rehabilitate and modernize Bohol Light’s distribution assets.
BLCI described the investment as part of a strategy to improve the reliability and quality of electricity distribution in Tagbilaran.
Bohol Light is part of Primelectric’s expanding electricity-distribution portfolio in the Visayas.
The group’s other distribution businesses include MORE Power, which serves Iloilo City, and Negros Power, which began operations in Bacolod in 2024.
The Senate vote does not by itself make the measure law.
Because the Senate approved the House measure with amendments, the legislative process must still address the differences between the House and Senate versions before the measure can proceed to presidential action.
If enacted, the new franchise would provide Bohol Light with another 25-year congressional authority to operate the Tagbilaran distribution system.
For consumers, however, the franchise is only one component of electricity service.
Distribution performance, investments in lines and substations, system reliability, electricity rates and regulatory compliance remain subject to the applicable laws and ERC oversight.