Bacolod city: Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on Tuesday highlighted the coordinated efforts to restore electricity in areas served by the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power), which has already re-energized more than 92 percent of its 244,915 customers affected by the typhoon as of 6 p.m. Monday. ‘The swift restoration of power in Central Negros, now above 92 percent, shows what can be achieved through strong coordination, malasakit (compassion), and hard work on the ground,’ Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said in a statement. ‘We thank the Negros Power teams and the communities for working together to bring electricity back as quickly and safely as possible, even after such powerful storms.’
According to Philippines News Agency, Negros Power ‘has energized all major system components, including the complete restoration of five sub-transmission lines, 11 substations, and 48 feeders, reflecting the rapid and effective rebuilding of the power distribution backbone in Central Negros.’ Full restoration has been reached for secondary lines and almost 99 percent for metering and service-drop connections in Bacolod City alone, but around 8 percent of customers in areas heavily hit by Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi) and Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong), and those in remote areas are still without power.
The DOE cited the closer coordination between Negros Power and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to address the situation. ‘Negros Power crews are targeting the restoration of power to most of the remaining customers over the next 72 hours, subject to weather, access, and on-ground conditions,’ it said.
Garin also highlighted the National Power Corporation’s (NAPOCOR) efforts to ensure the capacities of numerous dams during the onslaught of the recent typhoons, dubbing these measures as ‘concrete examples of responsible and professional public service.’ ‘The safe operation of our dams and the rapid restoration of power in off-grid areas show the dedication of NAPOCOR’s engineers, linemen, and operations personnel, who worked under difficult conditions to keep our people safe and our systems stable,’ she said.
Power in off-grid areas being serviced by NAPOCOR’s Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) has been fully restored, according to the DOE. It said the situation in off-grid island areas is also progressing, with only two villages in Calayan Island in the North Luzon Strait awaiting completion of distribution line repairs; four villages in Ticao, Masbate have pending power restoration; and the Miguel and Viga Substations in Catanduanes are ready to operate, pending feeder energization from the local electric cooperative.
The DOE said the full restoration in Palumbanes islands in the Bicol region is expected by Nov. 21, while the diesel power plant in Calaguas, Camarines Norte, is ready to operate once distribution lines are repaired. ‘Meanwhile in Mindanao, the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Power Plant Complexes maintained uninterrupted operations throughout both typhoons and sustained their 10-year record of zero flooding incidents attributable to dam operations. Year-to-date generation from the complexes has exceeded government performance targets by nearly 20 percent, bolstering national grid stability and energy security,’ it said.
