At least 261 electrification workers from Luzon and Visayas were deployed this week to speed up power restoration efforts in Aurora, Catanduanes and Nueva Vizcaya—three provinces that sustained heavy energy infrastructure damage in the aftermath of Typhoon ‘Pepito.’
Based on its latest situation report, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) through its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) said the teams organized under Task Force Kapatid (TFK) were mobilized since November 19.
Forty-three (43) lineworkers from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan would help rehabilitate the power lines of the Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO), which has 43,274 consumers still without electricity.
Pampanga, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija sent a total of 23 personnel to augment the technical team of Aurora Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AURELCO), which already started repairing its powerlines after experiencing total power interruption during the height of ‘Pepito.’
The largest TFK contingent was deployed to the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FICELCO) with 195 members from electric cooperatives (EC) based in Bicol, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Eastern Visayas.
Catanduanes bore the brunt of ‘Pepito’ in its super typhoon phase last weekend, which forced FICELCO to temporarily suspend its services, affecting 52,322 customers. An additional 66-person unit from Western Visayas will also be mobilized to join the ongoing power restoration efforts.
As this developed, the NEA-DRRMD noted that previously assembled TFK teams are still working to fully restore power distribution services in areas badly hit by Typhoons Marce and Nika earlier, particularly in Cagayan (CAGELCO 2), Isabela (ISELCO 1), and Quirino (Quirelco).
In an interview with radio DZBB on Wednesday, Energy Undersecretary and NEA Alternate Chair Felix William Fuentebella said they are hoping to restore all damaged powerlines at least before the Christmas holidays.
Fuentebella attributed his optimism to the fact that 12 out of the 13 affected power plants resumed normal operations and only one transmission line is still under repair at the moment—the one connected to Aurora.
Meanwhile, as of November 21, the initial estimated cost of damage to EC power distribution assets of four major typhoons—Marce/Ofel, Nika, and Pepito—already reached a combined total of 144,915,463.35 with 101,406,377.58 worth of damage attributed to ‘Pepito’ alone. ###
