Beneco incurs P30M damage

DAMAGES incurred by the Benguet Electric Cooperative due to Typhoon Ompong have reached P30 million.

Beneco Network Services Department Manager Engineer

Melchior Licoben said the damage report incurred by the electric cooperative have been submitted to the National Electrification Administration and the Department of Energy.

“Benguet Electric Cooperative will benefit from any assistance coming from government to reduce the expenses of the cooperative in fully rehabilitating the damaged electrical lines and facilities to all its member consumers in Baguio City and Benguet Province,” Licoben explained.

Electric cooperatives heavily affected by the typhoon included the Cagayan II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Cagelco II) with an initial damage cost at P25 million, followed by Abra Electric Cooperative (Abreco) with P20 million, Cagelco I with P19.276 million, Ilocos Norte Electric, Inc. (INEC) with P15.500 million, and Benguet Electric Coremoval operative, Inc. (Beneco) with P15.394 million.

NEA Deputy Administrator for Technical Services Engr. Artis Nikki Tortola said the amount is likely to increase as the ECs have yet to determine the full extent of the damage caused by Ompong to their respective distribution facilities.

"It will likely increase but we are hoping not that much since electric cooperatives are not complete strangers to this kind of weather scenario. We are confident that with the Build Back Better program and enough pre-typhoon measures, the impact of this calamity to EC facilities has been sufficiently mitigated," Tortola said.

Beneco is continuously conducting its rehabilitation of damaged electrical lines and facilities which were affected by soil erosions, landslides and broken poles.