The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is prepared to mobilize electric cooperative (EC) line workers under ‘Task Force Kapatid’ to assist on power restoration activities in areas affected by outages amid the onslaught of Typhoon Tisoy.
According to Engr. Federico Villar, Jr., acting director of the NEA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, there are at least 29 electric cooperatives (ECs) that have experienced power cuts based on their monitoring as of 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday (December 3) during the height of the typhoon.
“Doon nag-landfall sa Sorsogon province kaya posibleng merong ma-damage sa kanila.”
Of this number, 25 ECs operating in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Leyte, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran Island and Samar had ongoing service interruptions due to bad weather.
Villar said the Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SORECO-I) sustained damage on its power distribution facilities, according to initial reports they received from its management. SORECO-I serves eight municipalities with 253 barangays in the province.
“Doon nag-landfall sa Sorsogon province kaya posibleng merong ma-damage sa kanila. ‘Yonang initial report sa amin ng SORECO-I. And then, the NEA will send personnel tomorrow (Wednesday) to see the actual situation,” Villar told ABS-CBN News in an interview.
Typhoon Tisoy (international name Kammuri) made landfall in Gubat, Sorsogon on Monday night, largely affecting the Bicol region, said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
NEA estimates that around 1,726,277 households are currently dealing with unscheduled power service interruptions from the affected 25 ECs.
Villar said the reasons for these reported outages are attributed to strong winds that may have toppled electric posts or other power distribution and transmission facilities along the path of the typhoon.
NEA meanwhile, is ready to organize and deploy line workers from power co-ops whose operations were not affected by the typhoon to help speed up power restoration efforts of ECs in calamity-hit provinces. This will depend on its assessment of the situation.
“According doon sa latest advisory ng PAGASA, medyo humina ‘yung strength ng wind. Kaya logically, siyempre, ‘yung exposure ng facilities mababawasan na… Mababawasan ‘yung possible damage,” Villar said.
NEA estimates that around 1,726,277 households are currently dealing with unscheduled power service interruptions from the affected 25 ECs operating in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas due to Typhoon Tisoy.