2 M households without electricity

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines – Days after the onslaught of Typhoon Ruby, some two million homes across the Visayas and some parts of Southern Luzon remain without electricity as work continues on restoring toppled power lines and electric poles, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said yesterday.

The NGCP said that at least 35 transmission lines were affected by Ruby, but in a Dec. 9 advisory, the state power firm reported that most damaged facilities have been restored.

In Luzon, at least 11 power lines knocked out by Ruby on Dec. 6 and 8 went “back to normal” two days after the typhoon, according to NGCP’s website.

The NGCP also reported the restoration of power in the Allen-Catarman lines (Northern Samar), along with 14 other lines in Leyte and Southern Leyte by Monday morning.

But with nine remaining power lines in Eastern Visayas still down, households will remain without electricity in the coming days.

The nine are the 69-kilovolt Palanas Cara-Catarman, Babatngon-Arado (69 kv), Tolosa-San Isidro (69 kv), Calbayog-Palanas Cara-Catarman (69-kv), Calbayog-Gandara (69-kv), Babatngon-Paranas (138-kv) line 2, Ormoc-Babatngon (138-kv), Paranas-Taft-Borongan (69 kv) and Ormoc-Tolosa (69-kv) Tunga Feeder.

“(We) continue to inspect, assess and repair (our) lines and facilities affected by the passage of Typhoon Ruby,” the NGCP report read.

Residents in areas without power use charcoal and gas stoves in cooking, while improvised lamps and flashlights were the main sources of light at nighttime.

“We’re lucky to have earlier purchased candles, batteries and solar-powered lamps,” Eddeto Ferreras of Barangay Catadman, Basey, Samar said.

“Those who failed to prepare early, have to charge their phones and flashlights at the evacuation centers that have generator sets,” Ferreras added.

“We are still awaiting information from NGCP as to when they can energize their transmission lines,” said Dickson Bernales, information officer of the Samar Electric Cooperative II based in Barangay Arado, Paranas, Samar.

“SAMELCO II gets electricity from NGCP,” Bernales said.

Other power distributors in the region such as the LEYECO also said they were ready to distribute power to member-consumers once the NGCP switches on its power lines.

“We are taking necessary preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of succeeding storms and disasters on our facilities,” the NGCP said.

Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla during his Monday visit to Samar promised to restore power in the province before Christmas.

“Our target is next week. For sure, we can have our Christmas dinner with our table fully lighted,” Petilla, a native of Palo, Leyte said.

SAMELCO II general manager Joey Talon, Catbalogan Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan and Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan echoed Petilla’s assurance.

“Yes, it’s doable,” Petilla said in a separate interview yesterday when asked about the power situation in the Visayas. – Helen Flores, Louella Desiderio, Iris Gonzales, Jaime Laude, Ric Sapnu, Rainier Allan Ronda, Janvic Mateo