VECO may down power during typhoon

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company may resort to a blackout if typhoon Ruby’s wind speed reaches between 70 to 80 kilometers per hour.

“It is possible that we will resort to blackout for safety purposes,” VECO vice president Valentin Saludes III told a press conference yesterday.

Last year, when super typhoon Yolanda struck Cebu, VECO cut off power to its power lines when the wind speed reached 90 kph.

It took the utility firm seven days to fully restore power in its franchise area although it only took them less than an hour to energize some areas, especially those households situated near the Ermita sub-station.

“We have enough crew and back-up crew. We will try our best that in case of blackout, we can fully energize our franchise area in a short period of time,” Saludes said.

He also said that if power supply would drop, they may resort to manual load dropping or rotational brownout.

Meanwhile Amelita Valencia, officer-in-charge and assistant manager of the Cebu Electric Cooperative II, said that they are very much prepared now compared to Yolanda’s onslaught last year.

“All our personnel are on call ug andam na ang atong mga materyales. Personnel from  Cebeco I and III are also on stand-by to assist us,” she said.

Cebeco II covers eleven towns (Daan Bantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Borbon, Sogod, Carmen, Catmon, Tuburan and  Compostela) and two cities (Bogo and Danao) in the northern part of Cebu, where typhoon Ruby is predicted to cross tomorrow or Sunday.

When Yolanda struck last year, these places were plunged into total darkness, taking Cebeco II 10 days to restore primary lines but at least four months, with the help of VECO and all electric cooperatives in the country, to restore power to households.

In yesterday’s press conference, VECO assured its customers that it is ready with contingency measures to be implemented at the wake of the typhoon.

VECO said it has 352 linemen to repair power lines as soon the weather permits, 40 gang trucks and 135 emergency crew on standby, 30 feeder patrollers to monitor lines and poles, and an emergency crew from Davao Light & Power Company as reinforcements. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RHM (FREEMAN)