Samar Island power restoration still uncertain

CEBU, Philippines – Either there will be power or none in Samar island on Christmas Day remained a big question as of yesterday, even after a Friday advisory from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said it targeted completion of repair of power lines in the areas before December 24.

The NGCP advisory said simultaneous repairs of the 138-kv Babatngon-Paranas line and the 69-kv lines, damaged during typhoon Ruby in Eastern Samar, Samar and Northern Samar provinces were going on last Friday.

The works were mainly on erection of towers and poles to replace toppled structures, correction of leaning poles, re-stringing of cables, installation of insulators and other line parts and clearing of toppled trees, said NGCP as it assured consumers in Samar Island that it was expediting works to restore power as early as possible.

If the 138-kv line will be energized this weekend or early next week, there will be power in Catbalogan City, and when the 69-kv line, electricity will be back in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

Meanwhile, a report from interaksyon.com stated that roads, bridges and other infrastructures, under the 2nd Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works sustained more than P100-million worth of damage after typhoon Ruby inundated most parts of Eastern Visayas.

The damaged Daguitan Bridge in Dulag town of Leyte, for one was still impassable to heavy vehicles due to damages caused by Yolanda last year and later made worse by Ruby.

Engineer Carlos Veloso of the 2nd LED District said the bridge can only be passable to vehicles weighing up to a maximum of three tons. Heavy vehicles can use the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road as an alternate route going to Leyte's fifth district and southern part, as well as to the Mindanao areas, he said.

Passengers of commuter buses bound for Tacloban City from the south of Leyte were being made to get off and walk through the bridge to lighten the vehicle's load. National roads along Barbo and Fatima villages in Dulag town were also flooded, making transportation difficult.

In an initial report by the 2nd LED, among the damaged infrastructures were: Abutment of the Mainit Bridge in Buri village of Jaro, Leyte; hanging pavement and scoured shoulder along the Jaro-Dagami-Burauen-Lapaz road in Sta. Ana village of Lapaz town; and another scoured shoulder along the same road in Malobago village in Jaro.

Structures of Digahungan, Balilit, and Abre bridges in Dagami town also sustained damages on its approach and scour protection, the 2nd LED reported. In San Benito village in Dagami, Leyte, similar flooding was experienced, spanning five days after the typhoon.

The Binahaan River spillway in Tingib village along the Jaro-Dagami Road was also impassable due to flooding. In Carigara town, the hanging bridge in Uyawan village and sea walls in East and West Visoria villages sustained damages of more than P32 million.  — Rommel L. Rutor with wire reports