Typhoon Rolly damage to power co-ops initially estimated at P30.5 million
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES (ECs) sustained damage estimated initially at P30.5 million during the transit of Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni), according to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in a power situation report Tuesday.
The typhoon, which was officially classified as a supertyphoon, retained much of its strength as it arrived in the Bicol Region before later weakening after crossing the Sierra Madre mountain range.
As such, NEA data obtained by BusinessWorld showed that the highest levels of damage were reported by three electric cooperatives in Camarines Sur as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
The Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative, Inc. valued its damage at P17.6 million. The Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperatives, Inc. incurred the second highest loss at P7.3 million, and the Camarines Sur I Electric Cooperatives, Inc., reported the third highest damage at P2.9 million.
There is still no electricity in Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay and Sorsogon, the NEA’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management office reported Tuesday.
In these provinces, except for Catanduanes, eight ECs reported that power transmission was unavailable as of Tuesday morning. The ECs were the various branches of CASURECO, Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc., Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Sorsogon I and II Electric Cooperatives.
In the Mimaropa Region, which consists of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, the Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Romblon Electric Cooperative, Inc. have reported power interruptions in parts of their coverage areas.
Power restoration efforts are still ongoing at the Bicol-Region power distributor Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. In the Calabarzon Region (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), restoration is proceeding in the coverage areas of Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc., First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Batangas I and II Electric Cooperatives.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, through the Energy Department, said in a separate statement Tuesday that eight 230 Kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and five 69 kV lines in Southern Luzon were currently down. Meanwhile, the 350 kV Naga-Ormoc high-voltage direct current line is “still isolated.” — Angelica Y. Yang
