Cebu coops extol Meralco for assisting the province
By TDT – January 6, 2022 12:59 PM
from Daily Tribune
Residents in Cebu have yet to recover from the impact of Typhoon Odette, which battered several parts of the country a week before the supposedly festive holiday celebrations.
While work to restore power in affected areas continues, a media cooperative acknowledged the much needed assistance that Manila Electric Co (Meralco) has been extending to power distributors in Cebu.
“We appreciate the sacrifices made by Meralco linemen and engineers who spent their holidays away from their families in solidarity with the crew of distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in our province,” said Elias O. Baquero, Director of Cebu News Workers Multipurpose Cooperative.
“Even if we are outside its franchise area, Meralco was among the first to help Cebu. We have witnessed not only their dedication to provide electricity service but also their compassion for their fellowmen who were severely affected by the typhoon,” added Baquero, who is also a director of Cebu City Cooperative Development Council, a special body of the Cebu City government.
Typhoon Odette, which made several landfalls in central Philippines on December 16, caused extensive damage to power facilities and left several parts of the country without power.
Meralco immediately coordinated with power distributors in Cebu and sent an advance party on December 19 to help assess the damage caused by typhoon. The company subsequently sent a contingent of more than 54 engineers, linemen and support personnel to help expedite power restoration in the province.
In addition, the distribution utility also sent vehicles, heavy equipment and generator sets that are still being used in the ongoing restoration efforts.
Baquero said the manpower assistance had been of great help to Cebu because employees of the electricity distributors were also affected by the typhoon.
“It has been a real challenge to restore power in all households and establishments in Cebu but we are very hopeful that through the continuing bayanihan of people who are working non-stop to restore electricity service, all homes will be energized soon,” Baquero added.
In a press conference on January 5, the Department of Energy (DOE) reported that available power generation capacity in Cebu was already at 49% and transmission lines were already fully restored. However, heavily damaged network facilities of distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in the province continue to be a challenge.
Visayan Electric Co. (VECO), which services most of Cebu, earlier said power within its franchise area is targeted to be fully restored by the end of January. It reported that close to 37% of the 474,182 households and establishments in its franchise area have been re-energized as of January 5.
In a statement, VECO said “restoration is taking longer in areas where Visayan Electric’s distribution facilities sustained heavy damage such as toppled poles, downed wires, and damaged transformers.”
“Our linemen from Visayan Electric, together with the engineers and crews from various distribution utilities from all over the country, have been working 24 hours a day and will continue to work through the holidays to clear lines and restore power at the soonest and safest time,” it added.
Latest data from the DOE showed that Camotes Island has been 100% energized but full restoration in other parts of Cebu have yet to be determined.
Currently, Mactan Electric Co.(MECO) has energized 50% of its franchise area; Cebu Electric Cooperative (CEBECO) I, 20.21%; CEBECO II, 95.91%; and CEBECO III at 44.06%.
Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella also acknowledged that VECO and MECO are being assisted by Meralco and MORE Power; while CEBECO I, II and III are getting help from other electric cooperatives through the National Electrification Administration.
