DOE: Energy contingency plan ready for ‘The Big One’

MANILA, Philippines —  Is the country’s energy infrastructure ready for “The Big One”?

Contingency plans are in place to address the potential impact of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that could strike the Greater Manila area, according to the Department of Energy.

Felix William Fuentebella, DOE Undersecretary, said the agency has conducted simulations as part of its preparations, noting that the energy sector was among the first to develop disaster-response measures.

“We have assignments for each player, both in the oil and power sectors, on how we will respond,” Fuentebella told a press briefing yesterday.

The preparations include close coordination with stakeholders across the power generation, transmission and distribution segments to ensure that damaged energy facilities can be restored as quickly as possible.

The Big One refers to the projected magnitude 7.2 earthquake generated by the movement of the West Valley Fault, which runs through Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Maggie Olvido, supervising science research specialist at the DOE’s Task Force on Energy Resilience, said consumers within the Meralco franchise area would likely bear the brunt of the impact should the major quake strike.

A 2004 joint study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that The Big One could result in up to 33,500 deaths and 113,600 injuries.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin told reporters yesterday that restoration efforts were still ongoing for the remaining affected consumer connections, with teams from the DOE and the National Electrification Administration now deployed on the ground.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has asked domestic carriers to extend flexible rebooking options to passengers whose flights are canceled by the Mindanao earthquake.

In an advisory, CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla told domestic carriers Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines to offer flexible options for finding new flights.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez directed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to release special permits to buses for stranded passengers in Davao and General Santos airports.

Lopez said that General Santos Airport can now host military, humanitarian, government and cargo flights to receive aid for victims of the earthquake.

He said they are also expediting the renovation of the passenger terminal building so the airport’s commercial operations can be resumed within a week. – Elijah Felice Rosales, Rudy Santos, Josiah Antonio