Some 25,300 households are still facing prolonged power outages in the wake of recent typhoons, but this number is expected to drop as more electric cooperatives (ECs) are about to complete all post-typhoon power restoration activities, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said.
The NEA through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) reported that most of the ECs in calamity-hit provinces are nearing the 100 percent status of their re-energization targets.
The commitment and dedication of all the participating line workers have quickened the pace of power restoration in the affected areas.
In areas devastated by Typhoon Ursula, the Iloilo III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO-III) has already reached 97.97 percent of its service reconnection goal, translating to about 90,008 households. Only 1,869 residential customers under its franchise remain without power.
The Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO) said it has brought electricity services back to 99.60 percent or 146,039 households as of Tuesday, January 21. Some 591 households remain without power.
Meanwhile, the Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (OMECO) has yet to breach 80 percent. It has so far reconnected only 62,774 or 79 percent of its target households with about 16,674 residential customers still without electricity.
With respect to ECs affected by Typhoon Tisoy, only four non-profit power distribution utilities have ongoing restoration activities.
These are the Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ALECO), the Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORSAMELCO), Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SORECO I), and the Ticao Island Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TISELCO).
Data from the NEA-DRRMD showed that NORSAMELCO is now at 99.79-percent completion of its restoration efforts; ALECO is at 98.28-percent; TISELCO is at 97.14 percent; and SORECO I is at 97.06 percent.
Most of the ECs in calamity-hit provinces are nearing the 100 percent status of their re-energization targets.
The four ECs have a total of 6,168 households combined that remain without power. Of this number, 3,450 households are under ALECO; 1,999 households under SORECO I; 511 households under TISELCO; and 208 households are covered by NORSAMELCO.
Helping out the ECs in their continuing power line rehabilitation efforts is the NEA’s Task Force Kapatid, a special unit of electrification workers strategically deployed by the NEA in coordination with the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA).
Meanwhile, the NEA-DRRMD said there are currently 357 engineers and line workers, 39 boom trucks and 15 utility vehicles from 45 ECs aiding AKELCO, ILECO III, and OMECO in their post-Ursula recovery activities.
In Albay, there are 57 line workers from nine ECs assisting ALECO, while a 21-man crew from Camarines Sur IV Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CASURECO IV) and the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) was sent to help SORECO I in Sorsogon.
NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong thanked the different regional and national EC organizations that responded to the call of the agency for help.
Masongsong said the commitment and dedication of all the participating line workers have quickened the pace of power restoration in the affected areas.
“The restoration is actually faster given the extent of damage from the recent typhoons, the limited resources available both materials and manpower, and the challenges in the restoration such as the terrain and distance, among others,” Masongsong said.
The NEA-DRRMD, meanwhile, estimates the total cost of damage to EC facilities from the recent typhoons at P1.491 billion; P911.668-million from Typhoon Tisoy and P579.464-million from Typhoon Ursula. Both typhoons hit the country in December last year.