The Department of Energy (DOE) in cooperation with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and National Power Corporation (NPC) are currently in Masbate to speed up ongoing repair works and facilitate the immediate restoration of electricity services in the province.
Masbate has recently declared a state of calamity in the aftermath of Typhoon ‘Opong,’ which damaged power lines and other critical electricity infrastructures, rendering many communities under total power interruption for several days now.
A Task Force Kapatid (TFK) composed of lineworking teams from neighboring electric cooperatives are already in Masbate City to support the Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MASELCO) in its ongoing power restoration and rehabilitation activities.
DOE Secretary Sharon Garin is on the ground on Tuesday (September 30) with NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda and NPC President Jericho Jonas Nograles to conduct an inspection aimed at bringing back electricity.
“We have to fix and immediately restore electricity here. Right now, many cooperatives have volunteered to help speed up the energization of Masbate. At the very least, all hospitals, your capitol, and critical infrastructure should be prioritized,” Garin told reporters in Masbate.
According to Masbate Governor Richard Kho, the situation of his province is improving with telecommunications services restored following the assistance of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Kho, however, lamented that the number of typhoon-related casualties is rising as validated reports come in. “We in the provincial government will do our best to provide (the victims) some assistance. I know we can’t bring back their losses, but we want to help them,” he said.
At present, the governor said 94,000 families or 373,069 individuals are affected. He said all municipalities have so far received family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and relief operations from the provincial government are ongoing.
Kho appealed for understanding from his constituents as he acknowledged the challenges of restoring power services, considering that some of the electrical facilities are “sensitive,” which require expert handling from technical personnel.
“But the connectivity has been improving in the province and I hope the progress of connectivity continues,” he said. “In terms of water supply, we’re doing our best to make our water district fully operational,” Kho added.
