Power partly restored in Ormoc City

ORMOC CITY , Philippines   â€“ Hopes that life in this typhoon-ravaged city would be back to normal soon are high after the local electric cooperative successfully restored power and lit up some street lights and the city hall last Friday.

This, after the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) energized its Ormoc-Simangan 69-kiloVolt (kV) line at 5:18 p.m. Friday and connected the substation of the Leyte Electric Cooperative V (Leyeco V) to it.

Elmer Cruz, NGCP information officer, said that simultaneously, they also successfully energized the Dingle-Natividad 69-kV line at 6:51 p.m. Friday. This line is connected to the Iloilo Electric Cooperative III (Ileco III) which distributes power to portions of Iloilo, including Anilao, Banate, Barotac Viejo and Ajuy towns.

Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr., who broke the good news to his constituents through his Facebook page by midnight Friday, said he is hopeful that Leyeco V would meet its target to energize the whole city by Dec. 9.

Locsin said the priority areas for energization are the city’s four water-pumping stations, four hospitals, and the Superdome where arriving relief goods are stored.

Water supply to the city proper was restored in five days by the Ormoc Water Systems Administration. When the four pumping stations are energized, Locsin said this would restore water service to pre-Yolanda levels.

Locsin added that after energizing the priority areas, Leyeco V would start working on household connections.

“Those living along areas where the lines would pass are lucky because they would be the first to be energized,” he said.

Locsin, who is closely coordinating with Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and Leyeco V manager Juanito Jorda, said Petilla’s persistence has paid off.

“I have been talking to him every day and he would always monitor the power situation. He promised power would be restored to Ormoc by Dec. 9 but it’s just Nov. 22 and he has done it,” he said.

Petilla earlier announced that power in Leyte would be restored by Dec. 24, and that Leyteños would not have a dark Christmas.