^{Photo credit: Reuters}

Electricity services across the SOCOTECO II franchise area in Southern Mindanao reached 99% energization by June 18, less than two weeks after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake disrupted power services in General Santos City and Sarangani.

The Department of Energy (DOE)  said the rapid restoration was carried out through the coordinated efforts of the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Power Corporation (NPC), Task Force Kapatid, electric cooperatives, private sector stakeholders, and local government units.

The agency said Task Force Kapatid, composed of 184 members from 26 electric cooperatives, helped restore power to around 95% of affected consumers in General Santos City within 72 hours.

Overall, restoration teams were able to restore electricity service to nearly all affected areas in less than 10 days, which the DOE said could have taken several months under normal circumstances given the extent of the damage.

In Sarangani, restoration teams dealt with damaged roads, landslides, and critical infrastructure disruptions, including the relocation of a damaged 69-kilovolt transmission line in less than 48 hours.

During the DOE’s virtual press conference on Monday, June 22, the NEA said 34 electric cooperatives in Mindanao were called for a command conference shortly after the earthquake. Around 26 teams and about 200 linemen were later concentrated in Glan, Sarangani.

NEA also said all hospitals and all SOCOTECO II sub-transmission lines had been energized by June 12. The cost of restoration was still being finalized, but damage had already reached around PHP 60 million and was estimated at less than PHP 100 million.

“The swift restoration of electricity in General Santos and Sarangani reflects the strength of our energy family. Electric cooperatives from across Mindanao came together to share resources, expertise, and manpower to help affected communities recover faster,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.

“Their dedication and spirit of cooperation allowed us to restore power in days despite the significant challenges brought about by the earthquake,” she added.

For off-grid areas, NPC President and CEO Jericho Jonas B. Nograles said the Kalamansig Diesel Power Plant resumed operations 80 minutes after the earthquake, while power services in Sarangani Island were substantially restored by June 21.

In Balut Island, power provider PSPI achieved full energization across all constituent barangays by June 18, except for a small number of isolated and severely damaged homes.

The DOE also said Petron donated 10,000 liters of diesel for disaster response operations, including support for military equipment, dump trucks, clearing works, and heavy equipment used to speed up restoration efforts.

Garin said the restoration effort also underscored the need to strengthen the country’s energy infrastructure in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to build back better after major disasters.

“Every disaster provides valuable lessons on how we can make our energy systems stronger and more resilient. Guided by the President’s directive, we are pursuing long-term measures that will help reduce vulnerabilities and ensure that communities can recover more quickly from future disruptions,” Garin said.

The DOE said the Southern Mindanao restoration effort showed the energy sector’s ability to respond quickly after major disruptions, while highlighting the need for stronger systems that can withstand future disasters.

How can the Philippines strengthen power infrastructure to reduce outages after future disasters?

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