NEA to help Samar restore electricity after ‘Ambo’
A task force is to be deployed this week to boost efforts in the restoration of power in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar provinces post- Typhoon “Ambo” ( international name: “Vongfong”), according to the National Electrification Administration ( NEA).
In a statement, the agency on Monday reported that two separate teams will be assisting the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc. (Esamelco) and Northern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Norsamelco) with their ongoing power restoration activities.
The Task Force Kapatid Ambo will help in the repair, rehabilitation and comprehensive assessment of the damage to power distribution facilities in the affected electric cooperatives, according to NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong.
Task force members are expected to be in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar for at least two weeks, according to Joey Talon, president of the Federation of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Region 8 (Frecor 8) and general manager of Samar II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Samelco).
The group is composed of 67 line workers and support personnel equipped with boom trucks and utility vehicles from nine participating power co-ops in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar and Biliran Island.
The Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative Inc. ( Dorelco); Leyte II, III and V Electric Cooperatives Inc. ( Leyeco II, Leyeco III and Leyeco V); Samelco I and Samelco II will be assisting Norsamelco.
The Leyte IV Electric Cooperative Inc. (Leyeco IV), Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative Inc. (Soleco) and Biliran Island Electric Cooperative Inc. (Bileco), meanwhile, are tasked to help out Esamelco whose power lines were cut and utility poles downed by fallen trees.
As of Sunday, power outages were recorded in some areas across Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions in the wake of Ambo, based on the latest monitoring of the NEA Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD).