3 weeks after Odette: Power back in more areas in Cebu province

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Three weeks after Typhoon Odette hit Cebu, hope shines brighter for residents in the province as power has been restored in more areas there.

During a post-Odette meeting with mayors at the Capitol on Wednesday, January 5, the Cebu Electric Cooperative I (Cebeco I) reported that they have managed to light up major installations in its franchise area.

Engineer Getulio Crodua, Cebeco I general manager, told mayors in the meeting that as of January 4, around 36,800 households in its franchise area already had electricity.

This translates to an accomplishment rate of roughly around 24 percent. Cebeco I’s total number of consumers was at 153,565, said Crodua. 

“Tanan natong kalungsoran o poblacion naa nay power,” said Crodua during the meeting. 

(All our towns or town centers already have power.)

Cebeco I covers at least 18 localities, all of which are situated in south Cebu. These are Carcar City, and the towns of Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda, Dumanjug, and Barili.

Their franchise area was badly hit by Odette, toppling over 5,700 of their poles.

Citing their restoration team’s data, Crodua said a total of 112 out of 366 barangays were already reenergized.

Cebeco III 

In midwest Cebu, which is the jurisdiction of Cebeco III, things are also starting to look brighter.

Virgilio Fortich, general manager of Cebeco III, reported that electricity is back in 75.67 percent of barangays in its franchise area. 

Under Cebeco III are the local governments of Toledo City, Asturias, Balamban, Aloguinsan, and Pinamungajan. As of January 5, 50,640 out of its over 160,000 consumers have been reenergized.

“Ongoing ang rehab and house inspection para ma-secure nga safe and ready ba ang mga balay sa power distribution,” Fortich said. 

(The rehab and house inspection are ongoing so that the house will be safe and secure and ready for power distribution.)

Fortich also urged mayors to mobilize their barangays in doing clearing operations in their locality’s interior parts. This is to expedite Cebeco III’s rehabilitation efforts in the inner-most portions of the area, most of which involved residential properties. 

“Hangyo sa Cebeco ngadto sa mga mayors nga pasidan-an ang mga barangays nga i-clear na ang mga agianan aron mas dali ang pagagi ug pagayo sa mga linya sa poste sa kuryente,” he said. 

(The appeal of Cebeco to the mayors is that they tell the barangays to clear the roads so that they [Cebeco personnel] can easily gain access and fix the lines of the electric posts.)

“Instead usa ka adlaw, mahimong duha ka adlaw ang paghuwat nga maayo tungod sa mga debris,” he explained. 

(Instead of one day, it will turn into two days of waiting to fix the wires because of the debris.)

Cebeco III currently has at least 162 linemen, composed of their organic personnel and augmentation from other power distributors, working round the clock to restore energy in their franchise area. 

Cebeco II

Cebeco II, for its part, is close to achieving a 100 percent full restoration in its major distribution lines and households.

Lowell Belciña, general manager of Cebeco II, said that as of January 4, 97 percent of its franchise area already have power. 

Belciña, in the same meeting, said their linemen and engineers were still rehabilitating power lines in Danao City, Compostela, and Catmon, all of which suffered significant damage due to Odette’s onslaught. 

Cebeco II covers all localities in north Cebu — Bogo City, Danao City, and the towns of Compostela, Carmen, Catmon, Sogod, Borbon, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, San Remigio, Medellin, and Daanbantayan.

They are targeting full restoration within its franchise area by January 12. 

Cebeco II has also sent some of their linemen in south Cebu to help their sister companies reenergize their franchise areas. 

Visayan Electric 

For Metro Cebu, Visayan Electric Co. has already reenergized their main distribution lines that spanned from Liloan in the north up to San Fernando in the south.

Anton Perdices, AboitizPower chief operating officer (COO) for distribution, said they had also appointed at least one person in-charge in each local government to oversee restoration works in that area. 

Citing data from Visayan Electric, Perdeces said that as of January 5, they have been able to partially restore power in Talisay City, Naga City, and the towns of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, and San Fernando. The breakdown of their progress rate are as follows:

• Liloan – 40.17%
• Consolacion – 16.55%
• Talisay City- 36.79%
• Minglanilla – 38.5%
• Naga City – 29.69%
• San Fernando 36.15% 

The AboitizPower executive also said they had already reenergized 100 percent of hospitals in Metro Cebu, and around 80 percent of the pumping stations of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD). 

It has been three weeks since Odette unleashed its fury in central and southern Cebu, leaving a massive trail of destruction in infrastructure and agriculture.

The Capitol will set aside at least P2 billion in public funds to help residents from 36 local governments recover and rebuild from the devastation.

Cebu remains under a state of calamity.

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