In a continuing effort to help the Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) with its rehabilitation work to improve the reliability of its electric services in the province, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has tapped the assistance of 10 electric cooperatives (ECs).
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong announced the creation of a task force whose main function is to speed up the rehabilitation of the power distribution system of PALECO.
“We are sending 10 electric cooperatives to form part of the task force.”
Task Force Kapatid PALECO will be composed of 10 electric cooperatives (ECs) from Luzon and Visayas. Each EC will be deploying six technical personnel with a boom truck and necessary equipment and logistics to aid PALECO in undertaking rehabilitation activities of power lines within its coverage area.
“The rehabilitation of PALECO will start in the second week of August. We are sending 10 electric cooperatives to form part of the task force,” Masongsong said.
Joining PALECO in its rehabilitation work
are the Batangas I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BATELEC I), BATELEC II, First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FLECO), Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO), Antique Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ANTECO), Capiz Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CAPELCO), Iloilo II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO II), Cebu I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CEBECO I), CEBECO II, and CEBECO III.
NEA Deputy Administrator for Technical Services Artis Nikki Tortola said the task force will start the rehabilitation works in Palawan on August 16, and will stay in the province for at least three months.
Tortola said decision to send a task force to Palawan came following a meeting on July 23 between the NEA officials, led by Administrator Masongsong, and PALECO Acting General Manager Nelson Lalas and Board chairman Jeffrey Tan-Endriga.
“One of the issues (that came out during the meeting) was the problem of Palawan in power reliability. So it was decided that Task Force Kapatid will be sent to Palawan to assist the electric co-op in the rehabilitation of their system, line clearing, repair and protection, including the transfer of poles affected by the DPWH’s road widening projects, among other things,” the NEA deputy administrator said.
To recall, the NEA has assigned Engr. Lalas as Project Supervisor and Acting General Manager of PALECO in December last year to oversee the power distribution utility’s operations and ensure the efficient delivery of electric services to its consumers.
Lalas, in his assessment of the power situation in Palawan, earlier attributed the frequent power interruptions/reliability issues in the province to a number of factors, which included vegetation problem and lack of acceptable dispatch protocol in the generation, transmission and distribution systems.
Results of the Performance Audit and Assessment recently conducted by the DOE’s Task Force PALECO also cited the inadequate coordination of the protection system of the EC and NPC’s distribution lines, overloaded substations, vegetation obstruction, and the slow coordination and assistance among various government agencies on line maintenance and improvements.
PALECO is the lone power distributor of Puerto Princesa City and the Municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Brooke’s Point, Sofronio Espanola, Cuyo, Magsaysay, Quezon, Roxas, Taytay, El Nido, Araceli, San Vicente, Bataraza, Rizal, Balabac, Cagayancillo, Agutaya and Dumaran.