In line with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) commitment to immediately repair and rehabilitate the Typhoon Ompong-hit energy facilities, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Friday announced the complete restoration ahead of schedule.
“We salute our linemen and our ground personnel who sacrificed and worked hard. We also like to thank the President for his hands-on management that enabled the energy family to be assisted by the entire Cabinet to accomplish this feat,” Sec. Cusi stated.
Typhoon Ompong devastated 22 electric cooperatives (ECs) and severely damaged power lines and structures in Northern Luzon, particularly the Ilocos, Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regions. Electricity services to around 2.36 million households were disrupted and the damage costs stood at P 296,184,120.
The Energy Secretary said while the devastation was serious, the energy family was able to fully restore power in the entire affected areas ahead of its timetable.
“It is a great achievement for the energy family to attain 100 percent restoration faster than the estimated timeframe for the rehabilitation. It was initially set in late November then was adjusted to end of October,” Sec. Cusi said.
He also noted the improved disaster response was attained with the help of Task Force Kapatid (TFK), which is the bayanihan program in the energy family. It is supervised by the DOE’s attached agency, the National Electrification Administration.
The TFK-Ompong consisted of 43 teams from the electric cooperatives and power companies. It mobilized 412 personnel and 86 logistical support facilities to supplement the restoration efforts in Cagayan.
“Our improving disaster response was greatly attributed to the unified action of the energy family, especially with our partners’ intensified willingness to help in the Task Force Kapatid, even if they were also struck by the typhoon,” Sec. Cusi said.
The TFK includes (1) ECS: AURELCO, BATANELCO, BATELEC I and II, CANORECO, CASURECO I, II, III and IV, ISELCO I and II, NEECO I, II-A1 and II-A2, NUVELCO, PANELCO I and III, PELCO I, II and III, PENELCO, PRESCO, QUIRELCO, SAJELCO, SORECO I and II, TARELCO I and II, ZAMECO I and II and (2) Private Power Companies: Aboitiz Power, AEC, CELCOR, Davao Light, DECORP., LMPRESS, MERALCO, NGCP, OEDC, SFELAPCO, SEZ, TEI, SM Baccud and VECO.
