Visayan Electric on Thursday, April 21, sent two groups with a total of 10 linemen to Bohol to help restore power in the municipalities of Buenavista and Getafe.
The linemen, who are employees of Visayan Electric contractor Rosch, were also part of the team that helped restore power in Cebu after the entire franchise of the electric utility experienced a blackout after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December 2021.
Visayan Electric sends a total of 10 linemen to Bohol to help restore power in the BOHECO II franchise area.
“Since we have restored power in the Visayan Electric franchise already, it is time to pay forward the help that we received from other distribution utilities by sending our crew to Bohol, where power has not been fully restored yet,” said Visayan Electric President and Chief Operating Officer Raul C. Lucero.
The electric company achieved 99.9% power restoration in its franchise area last March 31, a little over three months after Typhoon Odette hit its franchise area. After Odette’s onslaught, the entire Cebu, including the franchise area of Visayan Electric, was plunged into darkness as power transmission lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, as well as distribution lines of the electric utility, were felled by the typhoon’s strong winds.
However, despite transmission problems in the Visayas Grid, Visayan Electric was able to bring back power three days after the typhoon struck with the help of its AboitizPower sister company, Cebu Private Power Corporation, which operates a diesel-fired power plant located at the heart of Cebu City.
“Nalipay mi nga napili mi nga ipadala sa Bohol aron motabang sa power restoration didto. Kasagaran usab sa akong mga kuyog nga linemen kay taga-Bohol nga nanarbaho na dinhi sa Cebu. Mao na nga nalipay sila nga makatabang sila sa pagpasiga sa mga lugar didto sa ilang probinsya,” Roberto Degamo, the crew’s team leader, said. (We are happy to have been chosen to be deployed for the power restoration in Bohol. Most of the linemen in my team are from the province who have come to Cebu for work. They are just really glad they get to help bring the lights back on to their hometown this time around.)
The 10-man team will help restore power in Buenavista and Getafe, areas under the franchise of Bohol II. Electric Cooperative (BOHECO II). They will be staying in Bohol for 15 days.
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At the height of the power restoration efforts in the Visayan Electric franchise last December, the electric utility received help from a total of 16 electric utilities from all over the country. These include its sister companies Davao Light, Cotabato Light, Subic, Balamban and Mactan Enerzones, as well as Meralco, San Fernando Electric, Tarlac Electric, La Union Electric, Angeles Electric, Cabanatuan Electric, Olongapo Electric, Iligan Light and Power Corp., Cagayan Electric, Dagupan Electric and MORE Power.
“It is the practice of electric utilities nationwide to help each other in times of calamities. Visayan Electric was at the receiving end of this practice immediately after Odette. It is now our turn to help,” Lucero said.
