Help address Abra power woes, NEA asked

BANGUED, Abra, Philippines — The Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) is not giving up hope that the National Electric Administration (NEA) will help in addressing the power situation in the province.

Abreco, which has been experiencing financial problems, has not benefited from the sitio electrification and barangay line enhancement programs of the NEA, the cooperative’s general manager Loreto Seares Jr. said yesterday. 

“We have been asking help...for years about this, but no assistance came,” Seares said.

Abreco had earlier sought President Duterte’s intervention on the technical, financial and administrative assistance it has been asking from NEA since 2014, including an additional five megavolt ampere substation.

Abra had experienced power interruptions early this year after a fire that hit Abreco’s main substation due to overloading.

Despite difficulties, Seares said they managed to provide electricity to their customers through their own initiatives.

He cited the recent installation of another five MVA transformer in one of their substations and a 69-kiloVolt circuit breaker in compliance with the Philippine Grid Code.