Power co-ops in other provinces help Albay
THE FALLEN 107-year-old tree dwarfs students of Bicol University in Legazpi City in Albay province who are returning to school following the onslaught of Typhoon “Glenda.” MARK ALVIC ESPLANA
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Albay Power and Energy Corp. (Apec) has restored power supply in nearly 50 percent of its “backbone lines” in Albay province, 18 days since Typhoon “Glenda” hit the province on July 15.
“Only 13 percent of households have been energized but we have reached almost half of the commercial or backbone areas,” Russell James Serrano, chief of the technical operations and maintenance division of Apec, said in an interview on Saturday.
The backbone lines are the electric poles or posts, which are connected to the main roads where hospitals, schools, the central business district and other major institutions are located, he explained.
In Legazpi City, the business center of Albay, more than 50 percent, or 43 of its 70 barangays, had their backbone lines energized while supply was restored in 13 lines in Tabaco City and 10 in Ligao City.
In the municipality of Malinao, power had been restored in the backbone lines of seven villages.
Jane Rogando, head of Apec’s customer service division, said that with the help of the National Electrification Administration, volunteers from electric cooperatives across the country came to help in the power restoration work in Albay.
Seven teams with 42 personnel from six electric cooperatives in Luzon arrived in Albay on July 30. They were from Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Pampanga Electric Cooperative, Nueva Ecija Electric Cooperative, Pampanga Rural Electric Cooperative, Tarlac Electric Cooperative (Tarelco) 1 and Tarelco 2 to augment restoration efforts.
On Aug. 4, Rogando said they expected three more teams to come from Zamboanga Electric Cooperative (Zamelco) 1, Zamelco 2 and Peninsula Electric Cooperative in Bataan.
She said they had earlier projected that it would take three months before power could be completely restored in Albay but that they could shorten the period with the formation of Task Force Glenda, which is composed of electric cooperatives outside Albay.
Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal, in a text message, said the city expected full power restoration before the end of August.
Albay has 15 municipalities and three cities— Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco.
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