76% of power in quake-hit areas restored

CATBALOGAN CITY -- The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that at least 76 percent of power in quake-hit areas of Leyte, Samar and Bohol was restored.

As of Sunday, July 23, 40 more megawatts (MW) came in from Tongonan Geothermal Power Plants, said DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella.

According to the agency's latest report, Leyte and Samar provinces are already receiving 135.8 MW of power, while Bohol has been receiving 56.1 MW.

“This comprises about 69 percent of the requirement of the three islands in the Visayas,” said Fuentebella.

DOE officials visited the areas affected by the massive blackouts after the 6.5-magnitude that struck Leyte on July 6. They talked about the agency’s resiliency plan to restore power supply on or before the July 31 deadline.

In Bohol, Fuentebella commended the Provincial Government’s initiative to create a Bohol Energy Development Advisory Group, which was tasked to strategize on the province’s future energy needs.

“This advisory group and the best practices it already has, particularly specified energy plans, can be emulated by other LGUs (local government units) to be energy-resilient,” Fuentebella said in a radio interview.

Meanwhile, a memorandum of agreement was finally signed for various "Nationwide Intensification of Household Electrification" projects for 2017, benefitting some 33,000 households in Northern Samar, Zambales, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Zamboanga del Sur, and Leyte.

The signing, held last July 20 at the DOE headquarters, was attended by DOE Secretary Alfonso Cusi, together with Fuentebella, Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Director Mylene Capongcol, DOE Accounting Division Chief Arturo Cudia, National Electrification Administration (NEA) Deputy Administrator Sonia San Diego, NEA Director Ferdinand Villareal, NEA OIC-ATEO Henrietta Maramot and representatives from electric cooperatives.

The recipient electric cooperatives are the Zambales II Electric Cooperative Inc., Northern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc., Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative Inc., Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc., Zamboanga del Sur II Electric Cooperative Inc., and Leyte III Electric Cooperative Inc. (SunStar Philippines)

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