To the rescue: Linemen arrive to restore power in Albay

07 October 2006

By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY—Jaime Grefalde, 45, left behind his wife and three children in Negros Oriental, to join Task Force Kapatid, Balik-Ilaw Albay. Kapatid’s task: to help restore power in hard-hit Albay province.

The task force consists of 158 linemen and electrical engineers from electric cooperatives in Catanduanes, Negros Oriental, Bohol, Bantayan Island and Cebu City; they arrived here yesterday.

“Though our period of stay here is still uncertain, I am willing to do everything for the team,” said Grefalde, who is visiting Bicol for the first time.

Typhoon “Milenyo” caused a massive power blackout in the Bicol region. Power has been restored in five towns and two cities in Albay, but residents in 11 towns and another city remain without electricity supply.

Grefalde said members of the task force will be working for 12 hours every day, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m, to bring Albay’s power supply back to normal.

Dante Bermudo, 31, had to leave his two-year-old daughter to his mother-in-law in Negros Oriental so he could be part of the task force.

“I am starting to miss my daughter but I know my special purpose of being here in Albay. It is my first time to be involved in a mission like this and it will be a big responsibility since the devastation brought by the typoon was great,” he said.

Supply restoration in Tabaco City, was up to 85 percent; Legazpi City, 80%; Tiwi, 50%; Malinao, 40%; Malilipot, 85%; Bacacay, 50%; and Daraga, 20%.

But Camalig, Guinobatan, Jovellar, Oas, Polangui, Libon, Manito, Pio Duran, Rapu-rapu and Ligao City remained without any power supply.

According to engineer Alex Realozo, general manager of a local utility, Milenyo damaged 1,330 wooden, concrete, and steel poles; 394 transformers; and 50,000 meters of wires.

He said every damaged pole had to be replaced with a steel pole worth around P7,000; the process takes about three hours, using a seven-man team and one service truck.


Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said Malacañang has alloted P159 million for power restoration in the Bicol region and P55 million for Albay.