The Department of Energy (DOE) is targeting the restoration of the basic power system in earthquake-affected areas of Southern Mindanao within the week as repair and assessment activities continue following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

In a virtual press conference on Tuesday, June 9, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said government agencies, electric cooperatives, distribution utilities, and power companies are working to restore electricity services, with priority given to hospitals, evacuation centers, water facilities, communication systems, and other critical installations.

Among the hardest-hit areas was the franchise area of South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO II), where restoration efforts have made significant progress.

National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said 15 of 23 substations and 41 of 68 feeders had already been energized as of this afternoon. More than 201,000 households, or nearly 60% of SOCOTECO II’s consumers, have regained electricity service, while six of the cooperative’s ten municipalities have already been restored.

Almeda said the cooperative is targeting full energization of its distribution infrastructure within about a day, although some areas may continue to face supply constraints while generation and transmission facilities are being restored.

The earthquake temporarily knocked out about 835 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity after several power plants automatically shut down as a safety measure. DOE said some facilities have already resumed operations, while units at the Sarangani Energy and SMC Malita coal plants are targeted to return beginning June 10.

Despite the outages, DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said the Mindanao grid has remained under normal operating conditions and continues to have sufficient capacity to meet demand.

Transmission remains a key challenge, with the Matanao-General Santos 138-kilovolt line and two transformers at the General Santos substation still under repair. Officials noted that full restoration will depend on the recovery of both transmission and generation facilities.

To accelerate repairs, DOE and NEA activated Task Force Kapatid and deployed personnel and equipment from electric cooperatives in Northern Mindanao and nearby areas to support local restoration efforts.

“TFK will be working alongside our electric cooperatives and distribution utilities to accelerate restoration efforts and reinforce local response capacities,” Garin said.

“DOE personnel are on the ground coordinating with our partners and assessing immediate needs to ensure that response efforts remain swift and responsive. While electricity services have already been restored in several affected areas, significant work remains in communities that continue to experience disruptions,” she added.

Meanwhile, DOE assured the public that fuel supply across Southern Mindanao remains stable despite the earthquake. The agency said there have been no disruptions to the broader fuel supply chain, with most depots, terminals, LPG refilling plants, and retail stations continuing normal operations.

Only 47 gasoline stations remain temporarily unavailable due to minor damage, power interruptions, staffing issues, or ongoing safety inspections, while an affected import terminal in General Santos City is expected to resume operations by June 11.

Garin said the response demonstrated improvements in disaster preparedness and coordination across the energy sector, noting that restoration efforts that previously took weeks or months are now being completed within days.

The DOE said it will continue coordinating with industry stakeholders and local governments as restoration activities progress, with further updates expected throughout the week.

How can the Philippines further strengthen the resilience of its energy infrastructure against major natural disasters?

Follow Power Philippines on Facebook and LinkedIn or join our Viber community for more news and updates in the Philippine energy sector.