BAGUIO CITY – The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) reported Friday that of the six provinces and two cities in the Cordillera region, only Mountain Province has yet to be energized.
"In CAR, sa Mopreco (Mountain Province Electric Cooperative) na lang ang hindi pa restored ang power (In the Cordillera Administrative Region, only Mopreco has yet to restore power)," said Melma Batario, NGCP’s regional communications, and public affairs officer.
Batario said the Mankayan-Sagada 69-kilovolt (kV) line remains de-energized due to reported leaning and toppled structures.
The entire Cordillera experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, causing landslides and uprooting trees that affected electric lines in the region.
She said affected in Mopreco’s franchise areas are the entire Mountain Province, parts of Cervantes and Quirino in Ilocos Sur, and parts of Tinglayan in Kalinga.
Batario said their personnel were working double-time to restore electricity in these areas.
"Ongoing assessment and clearing works. Line patrol will continue for further assessment and implement restoration as soon as possible," she said, adding that toppled trees were being cleared along the La Trinidad-Mankayan-Sagada 69kV line segments, with the assistance of Mopreco.
Meanwhile, Batario said Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc.’s (Beneco) Mankayan Substation was energized at 7:37 p.m. on Thursday and its Atok Substation later at 10 p.m.
Beneco is the sole electric distributor in Baguio and Benguet.
Its acting general manager, engineer Melchor Licoben, said as of 8 a.m. on Friday, power has been restored in 94,221 out of its 192,000 household consumers in Baguio and Benguet.
Licoben said power has been restored in 84 out of 128 villages in Baguio City, which hosts an economic zone.
In Benguet, power has been restored only in 26 of 140 villages in 13 towns.
"This (was) because of the numerous collapsed, leaning and broken poles," he said, adding that they have gone full blast, hoping to restore power to the whole of Baguio and Benguet within the day. (PNA)
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