Eight provinces were left totally without electricity after Typhoon Odette damaged transmission lines as it crossed the Visayas and Mindanao over the past two days, the Department of Energy said on Friday.
Energy Undersecretary William Fuentebella said the following provinces had no power as of 6 p.m. on Friday: Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Bohol in the Visayas; and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao.
"Wala pong tinamaan na mga power plants pero ang tinamaan po 'yung mga transmission lines," Fuentebella reported in a briefing presided by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Fuentebella said power would be restored following an assessment of the damage and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines personnel started working on the damaged lines.
Partially without power are Antique, Iloilo, Cebu, and Negros Oriental in the Visayas; Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Misamis Occidental, and Lanao del Norte.
Vaccines may be affected
Health Secretary Francisco called on the Department of Energy to ensure power restoration in areas hit by Typhoon Odette.
Aside from stored vaccines, Duque said COVID-19 test kits and specimens would also be affected.
“Nakikita ang possibleng issue sa COVID 19 test kits and specimen kung magtatagal ang pagbabalik ng kuryente sa mga apektadong lugar,” Duque said.
(We saw that there will be a possible issue in COVID-19 test kits and specimens if the electricity will not be immediately restored in affected areas.)
“Kaya ginagagamit ko ang pagkakataong ito na makiusap sa DOE na siguruhin ang atin pong restoration ng mga power lines at kuryente ay napaka mahalaga po lalo na dito po sa mga lugar kung saan naroon ang ating logistics for our vaccination program,” he added.
(I am taking this opportunity to appeal to the DOE to ensure the power restoration in affected areas for our national vaccination program.)
Vaccine storage areas
The government has asked distribution utilities to identify areas where COVID-19 vaccines are stored so it could prioritize which areas should first be addressed in the restoration of electricity supply.
This developed as Typhoon Odette damaged transmission lines in the Visayas and Mindanao and rendered eight provinces totally without electricity and causing others be partially without power.
"We just like to make an assurance that we are doing our best na maibalik ang pangangailangan for electricity," Energy Undersecretary William Fuentebella said in a briefing presided by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Fuentebella said the Department of Energy called a meeting of the task force on energy resiliency.
"Dapat ma-identify saan ang bakuna para yun ang ma-prioritize dahil baka hindi tumagal ang genset na nandu'n," Fuentebella said. —Richa Noriega/NB, GMA News
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