MERALCO OFFERS HELP TO RESTORE POWER IN TYPHOON-AFFECTED AREAS
MANILA, December 4, 2004 (STAR) By Donnabelle Gatdula - The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) offered yesterday to assist other distribution utilities (DUs) severely affected by recent typhoons.
Meralco chairman and chief executive officer Manuel Lopez said their company is willing to provide personnel, equipment and logistics support to affected DUs.
Lopez said Meralco recognizes the need of the provinces devastated by typhoons "Winnie" and "Yoyong" and would like to assist in restoring electricity to affected areas.
"In our own little way we would like to be of help and provide the needed assistance to our less fortunate countrymen. We hope that through this offer of help, Meralco would be instrumental in alleviating the plight of the victims of the recent calamities," he said.
According to Lopez, Meralco has already signified its intent to the Philippine Electric Plant Owners Association of the Philippines (PEPOA) and electric cooperatives surrounding its franchise area.
Lopez said Meralco has been extending assistance when needed. In the early 1990s, Meralco helped the province of Cebu after a typhoon devastated electric facilities in the south. Meralco sent its linemen to augment the workforce of the Visayan Electric Co.
Meralco also helped restore electricity in Olongapo City after Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991 and provided assistance in La Union and Baguio City after a killer earthquake rocked Luzon in 1990.
In its own franchise area, Meralco reported that although it experienced successive circuit trippings starting at 4 p.m. last Thursday, the distribution of power to residents in the area was relatively normal.
The highest number of circuit trippings occurred between 7 to 8 p.m., with 88 incidents recorded. However, this figure is lower compared to the effects of previous typhoons on the Meralco franchise area.
As of 6 a.m. yesterday, only four percent of the total number of distribution circuits were still without power. Meralco said this low figure was because its personnel were prepared to respond quickly to repair power lines and transformers damaged by the two latest typhoons and restore power to affected areas.
Meralco earlier coordinated with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to advise advertising agencies to remove advertising billboards to minimize possible accidents brought about by Yoyong, which carried winds of up to 220 kilometers per hour.
In a related development, Energy Secretary Vincent Perez has instructed National Electrification Administration (NEA) head Edith Bueno and Fr. Francisco Silva, presidential assistant for rural electrification, to mobilize volunteers of the Task Force Kapatid program to assist electric cooperatives (ECs) in Luzon in repairing electric distribution lines and poles heavily damaged by the two recent typhoons.
Perez also ordered the NEA to provide emergency loans to these damaged ECs "to be used for the immediate restoration of (their) damaged lines," he said.
The Task Force Kapatid program called on volunteers from different cooperatives to render free services to other ECs that need technical help. The program undertakes activities from providing power to far-flung barangays to the rehabilitation of dilapidated or devastated electric distribution lines.
"Rehabilitation of dilapidated distribution lines and poles must be done immediately. Hundreds of families from the affected areas have been suffering and we must act immediately to restore economic activities in these areas," Perez said.
He instructed NEA to be prepared and immediately assess the damage done by the strong winds brought by Yoyong.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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