NEA commits P300 M funds for typhoon-hit electric coops

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is prepared to provide as much as P300 million in calamity funds to electric cooperatives (ECs) that incurred damage in their assets and facilities in the aftermath of Typhoon Nina, its top official said.

NEA, which supervises 119 ECs nationwide, has funds ready to support the rehabilitation and repair programs of South Luzon power distributors which sustained heavy damage in their respective franchise areas.

Affected ECs can also seek subsidies from the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council to execute immediate repair of damaged assets, NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said.

“Initially, NEA can extend P300 million for calamity loan but we are expecting help from NDRMMC for subsidy,” he said.

NEA’s calamity loan has a 10-year repayment period and one- year grace period with interest rate of 3.25 percent per annum.

Earlier, Sen. Loren Legarda said there are more than enough funds available for the relief and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the typhoon under the 2016 and 2017 national budgets.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund still has P4.963 billion in unused budget which will be carried over to add to the P15.755 billion allocated by Congress.

Cost of damage in the power sector has yet to be determined as power restoration is the main priority, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said.

“It’s ongoing. We are collating all information. The power bureau of the DOE is in charge of that. We are coordinating… because there are a lot of sectors affected- cooperatives, distribution lines, transmission lines, generators,” he said.

“But we are more focusing on ground forces being deployed and equipment being in place,” Fuentebella said.

The DOE said power is back in major commercial centers in Nina-hit areas.

In terms of households, 1,003,519 households or about 57 percent of the total affected have been re- energized as Dec. 4.

DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi said 982 personnel has been deployed from 52 participating energy companies and distribution utilities through the Task Force Kapatid to help restore power supply in the affected 99 municipalities and seven cities.

This is to speed up power restoration up to the household level in South Luzon by February. –