VECO, MCWD almost restore full services

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company has re-energized 98 percent of its customers within its franchise area while the Metropolitan Cebu Water District has also restored water supply in 91 percent of its service area.

VECO chief operating officer Basti Lacson however said that they resorted to a one to two hours rotational brownout starting at 9:30 in the morning yesterday after they sustained a 50 megawatt power shortage.

At 12 noon yesterday, VECO’s power demand reaches 350mw but only provided 310mw.

The power shortage occurred as some transmission lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines in Leyte sustained some damages due to super typhoon Yolanda.

“Rotation brownout starts today and until such time transmission lines are restored. As of now, we do not know when it will be restored,” Lacson said.

One third or about 150mw of VECO’s power supply is sourced from National Power Corporation/ Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (130mw) and Green Core (30mw).

Meanwhile, MCWD spokesperson Charmaine Rodriguez-Kara said that with the rotational brownouts of VECO, they are advising the public to regularly store water for their use.

MCWD has also implemented water rationing and deployment of water trucks in areas where there are no water yet like in Kalubihan, Talamban, Cebu City.

Kara said that this area, with a consumption of 3,500 cubic meter daily, the four wells owned by their private bulk water supplier were damaged and repairs are still on-going.

VECO likewise assured that hospitals, MCWD’s pumping stations and other government agencies rendering services are the last one to be deloaded should their power supply become extremely low.  (FREEMAN)