Parts of Bicol still without electricity

Some areas in the Bicol region where Typhoon “Tisoy” rendered transmission lines unavailable may go without electricity up to Dec. 20 as restoration efforts continue, according to National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

NGCP said in its latest bulletin that as of Thursday, there were 11 transmission lines that were still not working.

The grid operator said these include six 230-kilovolt lines in Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon. Also, there were five 69-kilovolt lines that were out of service, including the ones that link Daraga and Sorsogon, Daraga and Sto. Domingo, Daraga and Legazpi City, Daraga and Ligao, and Sorsogon and Bulan.

These lines deliver electricity to the franchise areas of the Sorsogon Electric Cooperatives (Soreco) 1 and 2, Albay Power Energy Corp. (Apec), and Camarines Sur Electric Cooperative (Casureco).

“A total of 66 line gangs or 528 personnel, working 24/7 when weather and safety conditions permit, have been deployed to the affected areas to expedite restoration works,” NGCP said.

This means NGCP sent out 16 more teams on top of the 60 line gangs that were initially deployed in the aftermath of Tisoy.

The company said the typhoon damaged 19 towers and 853 other transmission structures.

The grid operator expects to have restored transmission services for most of Apec’s distribution areas on Dec. 12. For Ligao City, the target is Dec. 15.
For Soreco’s area, NGCP expects to have completed restoration in Sorsogon City on Dec. 12 and for affected Sorsogon town on Dec. 20.

In Camarines Sur, power supply for distribution is expected to be restored on Dec. 17.

“NGCP continues its restoration activities in areas already accessible,” the company said. “NGCP has so far fully restored transmission services to the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar.”

The company clarifies that it was responsible only for transmission facilities, and that power outage may also be caused by problems at the distribution level which is the purview of the local utilities.