Power fully restored in Davao Oriental

The Manila Times
April 11, 2014 8:53 pm
by Catherine S. Valente


POWER has been restored in all villages in Davao Oriental, more than a year after the province was devastated by Typhoon Pablo, Malacañang said on Friday.
It will be recalled that President Benigno Aquino 3rd blew his top during a visit in Davao last February when residents in several villages complained of lack electricity in their areas brought about the strong typhoon.
At that time, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla told the media he is ready to be discharged of his post if electricity will not restored in 45 days.
As reported by the National Electrification Administration (NEA), Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that “power has been restored in all of the remaining 25 remote barangays in the municipalities of Cateel, Boston and Baganga in Davao Oriental.”
“Based on the NEA report, the construction of the line started last March 3 and was completed on March 29,” Coloma noted.
He added that 119 kilometers of distribution lines were constructed and 1,549 poles erected. Following these efforts, 673 households have been connected to the distribution lines.
Newspaper reports quoted NEA administrator Edita Bueno as saying that the immediate release of the calamity fund intended for electricity restoration in these areas—done steadfastly under the direct mandate of the President.
The other reckoning force in the completion of the task, she noted, had been the “task force members who immediately lent their assistance for this cause.”
NEA said a subsidy grant of P51.1 million has been released to the Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative Inc. (Doreco), which enabled the power utility “to continue the power restoration and distribution line rehabilitation” for the specified barangays.
Bueno said power restoration works were completed with the joint efforts of 126 engineers and linemen from Doreco and 11 other electric cooperatives in Mindanao.
The electric cooperatives which assisted in the power restoration include those in Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Davao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. source