Electric cooperatives in Batangas are facing a drastic decline in power demand as thousands of residential customers were forced to evacuate and businesses closed amid the continuing unrest of Taal Volcano, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong received the information during his recent visit to the offices of Batangas I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BATELEC-I) and Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BATELEC-II) to check on the state of their power distribution operations.
BATELEC I reported a 7-megawatt (MW) drop, while BATELEC II pegged a 12-MW to 15-MW decline, which will have an effect on their operations both financially and technically including system loss rates and collection efficiency, according to the NEA chief.
BATELEC II general manager Octavious Mendoza said the municipalities of Talisay and Laurel were on forced power shutdown as both towns were placed on total lockdown by the authorities to prevent residents from going back to their homes.
“Let us not lose hope.”
The Lipa City-based power distribution utility also enforced a mandatory shutdown of electricity on 21 barangays of Tanauan City that are within the 14-kilometer danger zone starting 12 noon Friday (January 17).
Mendoza said this was in compliance to the memorandum issued by the local government of Tanauan and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO). Tanauan City is currently under a state of calamity due to the phreatic eruption of Taal Volcano.
This developed as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) maintains its Alert Level 4 warning, which means that hazardous explosive eruption is still possible within hours or days, despite the weakening activity of Taal Volcano at the moment.
Covered by the temporary shutdown are barangays Ambulong, Bañadero, Gonzales, Wawa, Boot, Maria Paz, Bagbag, Balele, Mabini, Tinurik, Banjo West, Janopol Oriental, Janopol Occidental, Talaga, Bilog-bilog, Maugat, San Jose, Natatas, Luyos, Montaña, and Santor.
However, efforts to restore power to villages not included in the list of “critical areas” by the local government will continue, according to BATELEC II Assistant General Manager Mary Ann Dimaano.
Dimaano said the barangays in Tanauan City with ongoing restoration activities are Altura Bata, Altura Matanda, Altura South, Cale, Malaking Pulo, and Santol, with 2,605 total combined households.
BATELEC I general manager Alvin Velasco, meanwhile, reported that the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, and San Nicolas—all under lockdown—are also on forced power shutdown. These municipalities have a total combined households of 32,392.
Velasco also informed the NEA administrator of their ongoing activities that include a massive clean-up of their power distribution facilities, such as substations and feeder lines, which were covered by a thick layer of volcanic ash.
During his visit to the Batangas power co-ops on Thursday (January 16), Masongsong extended his sympathy to the residents greatly affected by the calamity, including rural electrification workers. BATELEC-I has 157 internally displaced employees while BATELEC-II reported 91.
“Let us not lose hope. We are doing everything as a movement para makabangon tayo,” the NEA chief said. Masongsong assured the electric cooperatives that the leaderships of their regional and national organizations will support them through this calamity.
The Philippine Rural Electrification Association (PHILRECA) through its One EC Network Foundation, which the NEA chief helped create, has extended financial assistance amounting to P1.585-million for the calamity-stricken employees of BATELEC I and BATELEC II.