VOLUNTEER LINEMEN from different regions in Luzon and Visayas are ready to be deployed to the Bicol Region which was hard hit by Super Typhoon Rolly.
In a Palace briefing Tuesday, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said these Task Force Kapatid teams that will be going to Bicol are from Region 1 (Ilocos Region), Region 2 (Cagayan Valley), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 6 (Western Visayas), and Region 8 (Eastern Visayas).
Under the Task Force Kapatid, volunteer linemen from different electric cooperatives can be deployed to other areas in times of calamities to help in reenergizing the areas which energy infrastructures were damaged.
Fuentebella said the Task Force Kapatid teams from Region 8 will be travelling Tuesday evening to Albay; Region 1 teams will be deployed to Naga by Wednesday or Thursday; Region 3 teams to Camarines Sur; Region 2 teams to Marinduque; and Region 6 teams to Mindoro.
For Catanduanes, the DOE official said they need a more detailed discussion with the local government and the Office of Civil Defense to assess the situation in the area.
The local government unit of Catanduanes estimated that 90 percent of energy infrastructures in the province were damaged by “Rolly”.
Fuentebella said the estimated damage to energy infrastructure in Catanduanes is around PHP254 million.
“We need to coordinate as regards the details on the prepositioned equipment and what we need to augment so when we dispatch the team going to Catanduanes, we are more organized,” he added.
Fuentebella said they are looking into using the BacMan Geothermal Power Plant to re-energize southern Albay and Sorsogon.
Naga was partially re-energized after the transmission lines from Tayabas to Naga and from Naga to Concepcion were restored.
For franchise areas of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), only 1,838 customers are still out of electricity as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Fuentebella said 839 customers are still up for power restoration in Laguna, 495 in Quezon, 437 in Cavite, and 67 in Batangas. (By Kris Crismundo)