PRESIDENT RODRIGO R. Duterte has signed Republic Act No. 11322, granting legislative franchise to Cotabato Electric Cooperative, Inc.-PPALMA (COTELCO-PPALMA) to disribute power supply in the municipalities of Pikit, Pigcawayan, Aleosan, Libungan, Midsayap, and Alamada (PPALMA) in the province of Cotabato. COTELCO-PPALMA, formally established in 2012, has been operating under the old franchise of COTELCO. Apart from the six Cotabato towns, the power cooperative also serves parts of Maguindanao. Some areas under PPALMA and the entire Maguindanao province are part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The law allows COTELCO-PPALMA “to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain for public interest, a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to the end users” in its designated franchise areas. The franchise “shall be for a term of 25 years from the date of the effectivity of this Act, unless sooner cancelled.” COTELCO-PPALMA will also automatically lose its license if it “fails to operate continuously for two years.” The law takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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