North Cebu power ‘fully restored’ May

CEBU, Philippines - A local energy official yesterday said power in all areas of northern Cebu that a super typhoon devastated on November 8 would be restored by next month.

Department of Energy-Visayas Director Antonio Labios said that of the 13 towns and a city that Yolanda devastated, only certain areas in Bantayan and Camotes islands and islets still remain without power.

“Power supply restoration in Yolanda-hit areas in northern Cebu is targeted to be complete by May,” he said in yesterday’s monthly post-Yolanda assessment program by the Philippine Information Agency.

Labios said that per report by the Camotes Electric Cooperative, power in the four municipalities under Camotes islands was already 100 percent restored last March 21.

San Francisco town has 7,023 households, Poro with 4,150, Tudela with 2,029, and the island town of Pilar with 2,361.

Labios also said that the Bantayan Electric Cooperative reported that of the three municipalities in the island, only Madridejos, with 4,371 households, have full power restoration, which was achieved last April 7.  Bantayan town, he said, is only 89.96 percent lighted while Sta. Fe is only at 69.86 percent.

Labios said Sta. Fe, home to famous Bantayan island resorts flocked by tourists, especially during the Holy Week, would not have any major problem since all the resorts have their own generator sets.

BANELCO noted a total of P100 million in damage within its service area, including that on the Solar Home System in seven of Bantayan’s islets.

In particular, Panagatan islet reported that its 43 solar panels were destroyed. The same was also true in Moamboc, with 134 solar panels; and Silagon with 42.

On the other hand, 47 of Biagayag islet’s 51 solar panels were damaged, while Panitugan islet has only one untouched solar panel out of 81 panels it originally had.

Mambacayao Gamay (90 of 95 solar panels damaged) and Mabacayao Dako (31 of 34 units damaged) also have to recover yet in terms of power supply.

The 480 solar panels, which costs P32,000 each and with an 80 watts peak capacity , were distributed by the DOE under its RPP Solar Home System program.— /RHM (FREEMAN)