TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija—Within two weeks, electricity is expected to be restored in the Lawin-devastated provinces of Isabela and Cagayan with the help of various rural electric cooperatives in Central Luzon.
Reynaldo Villanueva, president of the Central Luzon Electric Cooperatives Association, said members of Task Force Kapatid consisting of RECs who were working on the damaged power lines in Isabela and Cagayan—“Bayanihan-style”—were expected to wrap up their work in 12 days.
Villanueva, also the president of the Board of Directors of Nueva Ecija Electric Cooperative 2 along with Neeco 2 Area 1 general manager Nelson dela Cruz led send-off ceremonies for Task Force Kapatid last Oct. 26.
The fleet consisted of RECs in Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales reinforced with 20 vehicles, including boom trucks and 98 linemen.
These include the Pampanga Electric Cooperatives 1-3, Fresco, Zambales Electric Cooperative 1 and 2, Tarlac Electric Cooperative 1 and 2, Peninsula Electric Cooperative of Bataan, Aurora Electric Cooperative and Neeco 1 and 2 and additional crewmen from the Tarlac Electric Co., Dagupan Electric and the Cabanatuan Electric Corp.
Cleca provided allowances for the linemen for the duration of their stay in the mission areas.
Villanueva said the deployment of RECs in typhoon-hit regions would help speed up the rehabilitation of toppled power lines and restore electricity.
“If we do not help out areas which have suffered blackouts due to calamities, then it would be hard to have power restored at once so we have to engage in Bayanihan-style teamwork,” he said, citing massive damage due to “Lawin.”
“Even facilities of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines were destroyed although NGCP can very well fend for itself,” he said.
He said the project had benefited communities in Leyte in the aftermath of Yolanda as well as Catanduanes and Aurora.