Help is on the way to Bicol provinces, Marinduque and Mindoro as hundreds of workers from different electric cooperatives (ECs) in Luzon and Visayas started their travel to these areas on Wednesday to aid in power restoration after typhoons Quinta and Rolly, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said a total of 380 line workers and support personnel equipped with 35 boom trucks and 53 utility vehicles from 54 participating ECs in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, IV-B, VI, VIII and Cordillera Administrative Region have been dispatched to assist with the power restoration efforts.
They are all part of the so-called ‘power restoration rapid deployment’ Task Force Kapatid, a special unit of technical workers from power co-ops strategically deployed in coordination between the NEA and the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA).
They are all part of the so-called ‘power restoration rapid deployment’ Task Force Kapatid, a special unit of technical workers from power co-ops strategically deployed in coordination between the NEA and the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA).
Region VI electric co-ops are assigned to help their counterparts in Occidental and Oriental Mindoro; ECs from Regions II and IV-B to help in Marinduque; ECs from Regions I, III and IV-A to be deployed in Camarines Sur; and Region VIII power co-ops to assist in Albay. Teams will also be dispatched to help in restoring power in Catanduanes.
Meanwhile, more than one million households in provinces hit by Typhoon ‘Rolly’ have their power restored, based on the monitoring of the NEA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) as of 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 04.
The NEA DRRMD report showed that 1,085,007 households or 51.87 percent of the 2,091,796 affected households under the coverage areas of 20 ECs now have electricity. About 1,006,789 households are still dealing with typhoon-related power outages, with 834,107 consumers combined in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, and Sorsogon. Several transmission lines in Bicol remain unavailable.
Damage assessment is still ongoing at the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO), Camarines Sur I, II, III and IV Electric Cooperatives (CASURECO I, II, III & IV), Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CANORECO), Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ALECO/APEC), and Sorsogon I and II Electric Cooperatives (SORECO I & II).
In Masbate province, the Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MASELCO) has fully restored power to all its affected households; while the Ticao Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TISELCO) has fully restored power to 79.90 percent of the affected consumers.
The NEA DRRMD report showed that 1,085,007 households or 51.87 percent of the 2,091,796 affected households under the coverage areas of 20 ECs now have electricity.
In CALABARZON, power situation in the coverage area of the Quezon II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO II) has returned to normal after completing the restoration of service to all its affected households, while areas under the franchise of the Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO I) are undergoing restoration.
In Laguna, the First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FLECO) has also fully restored power to all its typhoon-affected consumers. In Batangas, the Batangas I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BATELEC I) reported 98.83 percent power restored; while the Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BATELEC II), 99.09 percent power restored.
In MIMAROPA, the Romblon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ROMELCO) has restored power to 97.36 percent of affected households; Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MARELCO) at 49.43 percent power restored.
In Eastern Visayas, the restoration levels at two power distribution utilities affected by the typhoon are already high: Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORSAMELCO) at 99.92 percent; and Samar II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO II) at 97.01 percent.
Meanwhile, the initial estimated cost of damage to power facilities of the ECs due to Typhoon Rolly has climbed to P45.55 million, bulk of the amount at P40.154 million incurred by three power co-ops in Camarines Sur.
CASURECO II reported an estimated P18.470 million in initial damage, followed by CASURECO III at P17.600 million, and CASURECO I at P4.084 million.