Over 30,000 consumers in Mindanao still without power supply, says DOE

More than 30,000 consumers in Mindanao still do not have electricity five after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred on Monday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Friday.

The DOE said it is monitoring two electric cooperatives where some customers are still without electricity because they are located at the far ends of the distribution lines.

“Sa kasalukuyan po, mayroon pa po tayong tina-target na more than 30,000 consumers pa po ang hindi pa po natin nabibigyan ng serbisyo,” DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

(Currently, we are still targeting more than 30,000 consumers whose power has yet to be restored.)

The two distribution utilities without electricity services are:

• South Cotabato Electric Cooperative II (covers General Santos City)
• Davao del Sur Electric Cooperative.

According to Marasigan, the ongoing rehabilitation and recovery of electricity lines is not projected to create an increase in power supply.

To expedite the electricity restoration efforts, DOE implements the Task Force Kapatid in General Santos City and Davao del Sur, which mobilizes help from different electricity cooperatives.

“Iyong ibang mga electric cooperative ay nagpadala po ng kanilang mga contingencies. May mga dala po silang mga equipment, supplies, mga boom trucks na tumutulong po sila sa restoration efforts natin,” Marasigan said.

(Other electric cooperatives have sent their contingencies — they brought equipment, supplies, and boom trucks to assist in our restoration efforts.)

The initiative also aids regional hubs that store critical disaster-response supplies ahead of major calamities like earthquakes, Marasigan added.

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) on Thursday reported that 96% of areas in Mindanao affected by the major earthquake are already energized.

This is equivalent to 24 out of 25 municipalities in southern Mindanao. — BAP, GMA News