Power restoration in Visayas likely to cost P6.5 billion – DOE

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Energy (DOE) said the cost of restoring power transmission and distribution in typhoon-hit areas of the Visayas would likely reach P6.5 billion.

Energy Carlos Jericho Petilla said in a briefing that the estimate has not included expenses for the deployment of generator sets or gensets. “We are deploying existing gensets and some of those have just been lent (to the government) so we will return them after the crisis,” Petilla said. He said beneficiaries have been paying for the fuel of the gensets.

Cost recovery may be through price increases later on but companies will first have to apply for such hikes with the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Overall, about 50 percent of power supply and distribution facilities have been restored, DOE estimates showed.

“We are on track with the Dec. 24 restoration (for major city and town centers),” Petilla said.

Tacloban City in Leyte province may have power services restored by Dec. 24 while other parts of Leyte as well as Eastern Samar may have to wait longer for transmission and distribution facilities to get back online, Petilla said.

Northern Samar was lit two days ago and Western Samar is also seen to have power restored soon. Roxas City had power restored four days ago while Kalibo, Aklan and the Boracay area would get lit “soon,” Petilla said.

“If it’s possible, we want the restoration to be even earlier than Dec. 24 because historically Eastern Visayas gets struck with typhoons every December,” Petilla said.

Fuel supply has likewise improved, Petilla said, as more gasoline stations have reopened. “More than 70 percent of gasoline stations in the Visayas are back in operation,” Petilla said.

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