NGCP restores Leyte, Samar transmission lines servicing power co-ops

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s power transmission highway operator, has energized critical lines that service three cooperatives in Leyte and Samar.

In an advisory, NGCP said it has restored three 69-kilovolt lines including the Paranas-Taft line segment servicing Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (Esamelco).

The cooperative distributes power to the whole province of Eastern Samar where super Typhoon Yolanda first made landfall last Nov. 8.

NGCP also put up two additional 69-kv lines, one of which serves the Leyte Electric Cooperative II (Leyeco II), which in turn supplies electricity to Tacloban City, Palo and Babatngon, the three areas hardest hit by the typhoon.

NGCP also energized its Panit-an-President Roxas 69-kv line, which serves Capiz Electric Cooperative (Capelco).

To date, around 83 percent of the whole Visayas load has been restored following the energization of NGCP’s transmission facilities.

“The early energization of entire Visayas is our top priority. Our men and women are working non-stop to make this happen,”  said Cynthia Perez-Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson and head of corporate communications and public affairs.

According to NGCP’s assessment, Yolanda damaged more than 2,000 transmission structures of 34 transmission lines and affected 22 substations in the Visayas.

“The damage brought about by this typhoon is unprecedented. But this only makes us work harder to bring electricity to all those affected,” Alabanza said.

The Department of Energy and other companies such as NGCP are eyeing to restore electricity in affected areas by Dec. 24.

NGCP, in coordination with the Department of Energy, National Electrification Administration, and other concerned agencies, committed to bring back the power in the region in time for Christmas.