NEA: Around 2.1-m power connections affected by ‘Kristine’

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) reported Tuesday that severe tropical storm ‘Kristine’ disrupted power distribution services to a total of 2.1 million households across 12 regions, including Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

NEA Administrator Antonio Almeda said the state-owned corporation alongside Philippine Rural Electric Cooperative Association (PHILRECA) quickly mobilized electric cooperatives (ECs) from unaffected areas to assist in restoring power. 

Restoration remains ongoing in areas hardest hit by the storm, including Pangasinan under the jurisdiction of PANELCO I, parts of Batangas under BATELEC I, Albay under ALECO, Naga under CASURECO II, Iriga and other areas in Camarines Sur under CASURECO III.

“We are already almost fully energized in most areas aside from these,” Almeda said.

According to the NEA administrator, in Pangasinan, 168 of 192 barangays under PANELCO I have been energized. Meanwhile, in Batangas, BATELEC I restored 76.2 percent of its household connections.

In Naga, CASURECO II energized 76 percent of households, though seven barangays remain flooded, limiting access to large vehicles. In Iriga under CASURECO III, the energization rate stands at 54 percent due to ongoing manual shutdowns in flooded areas.

Meanwhile, ALECO in Albay restored power to 62 percent of household connections. In Catanduanes, 92 percent of areas under FICELCO have access to electricity. Almeda noted full restoration in the province is anticipated by October 30.

In Ilocos Norte, the NEA confirmed that 100 percent of INEC’s service area is fully energized. Additional support from NEA’s Task Force Kapatid, comprised of other electric cooperatives, is expected to expedite full restoration.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to study the temporary halting of electricity bill payments in areas under a state of calamity.

President Marcos urged the ERC to suspend electricity disconnections and payment collections from October to December 2024 for areas declared in a state of calamity due to the recent storm.