Power co-ops incur P170M damage from Typhoon Ambo —NEA

Electric cooperatives have incurred an initial damage of P170 million due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ambo, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) said Wednesday.

Citing reports from its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) as of May 19, NEA said the typhoon caused an initial estimate of P170.215 million in damage to power cooperatives operating in the provinces of Quezon, Marinduque, Sorsogon, Masbate, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar.

The Northern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORSAMELCO) suffered the most with an estimated damage at P72.944 million, followed by Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative Inc. (ESAMELCO) at P55 million, Quezon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (QUEZELCO I) at P23.729 million, and Samar I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SAMELCO I) at P6.476 million, the NEA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, initial cost of damage to Masbate Electric Cooperative Inc. (MASELCO) was pegged at P6.379 million, Quezon II Electric Cooperative Inc. (QUEZELCO II) at P3.375 million, Sorsogon I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SORECO I) at P1.340 million, Marinduque Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MARELCO) at P614,383, and Samar II Electric Cooperative Inc. (SAMELCO II) at P356,199. 

The NEA DRRMD said 11 of the 18 electric cooperatives affected by the typhoon have already returned to normal operations as of Tuesday, May 19.

Meanwhile, work to restore power continues across the respective service areas of Camarines Sur I Electric Cooperative Inc. (CASURECO I), SORECO I, QUEZELCO I, QUEZELCO II, SAMELCO I, ESAMELCO, and NORSAMELCO.

“Helping out ESAMELCO and NORSAMELCO in the ongoing restoration activities is the ‘power restoration rapid deployment’ task force, which is composed of 67 line workers and support personnel equipped with boom trucks and utility vehicles from nine participating power co-ops in Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar and Biliran Island,” the NEA said.

The members of the task force, which have been deployed earlier this week, are expected to stay in Eastern and Northern Samar for at least two weeks, it said. — Ted Cordero/BM, GMA News