AROUND 30 highly skilled personnel from various electric cooperatives across Mindanao arrived Wednesday, August 27, 2025, to support the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. (Zamcelco) in its intensified campaign against power pilferage and reduction of system loss.
They include linemen, metering personnel and engineers, who form part of the Task Force Metro Zamboanga the National Electrification Administration (NEA) has created to help Zamcelco address major challenges that include illegal connections, unmetered households and unauthorized reconnections by disconnected users.
These dedicated line workers from 16 electric cooperatives across Mindanao were deployed under the directive of NEA in response to mounting concerns over high system losses in Zamcelco's franchise area.
"The mere presence of these linemen serves as an inspiration for Zamcelco to push forward with its goals," lawyer Vic Alvaro, NEA Deputy Administrator of Corporate Resources and Financial Services and Zamcelco Project Supervisor, said in a statement.
The Task Force Metro Zamboanga is chaired by Engr. Jerry Morastil, Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. (Dasureco) general manager, and is assisted by Cebu III Electric Cooperative Inc. (Cebeco III) General Manager Virgilio Fortich Jr. and Agusan del Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. (Aselco) General Manager and Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives Inc. president Emmanuel Galarse.
Alvaro said the task force will focus its operations on the top 10 Zamcelco feeders identified as having the highest system losses.
The present system loss of Zamcelco is from 18 to 19 percent average monthly causing revenue losses of P55 million to P60 million a month.
The allowable system loss for an electric cooperative set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is 8.25 percent monthly.
Alvaro said the work of the task force will include thorough inspections, large-scale meter replacements in both residential and commercial accounts, as well as database correction.
Lawyer Rommel Agan, Zamcelco chief management officer together with Zamcelco General Manager Engr. Gannymede Tiu and Board President Ernesto Oller expressed their gratitude to NEA and the participating cooperatives and committed Zamcelco's full support to the linemen and their mission. (SunStar Zamboanga)