Power still out in most of Southern Leyte due to Odette —gov

Power supply in most areas in Southern Leyte has yet to be restored since the onslaught of Typhoon Odette in December last year, Governor Damian Mercado  said Monday.

At the Laging Handa public briefing, Mercado said only around less than 30% of the areas in the province have their power supply back.

“Yung electrification natin ngayon, electric power, hindi pa siguro aabot ng 30% ang nabalik [Our electrification now, electric power, perhaps less than 30% has been restored],” he said.

Quoting the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO), Mercado said the power supply may be fully restored around late March or early April.

He added that other electric cooperatives are helping in the rehabilitation of the typhoon-hit province.

As of January 14, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that power supply in 271 of the 357 Odette-affected cities and towns has been restored.

A total of 206 people were killed, 65 were missing, and 1,266 were injured to the onslaught of Odette, the NDRRMC said. —KBK, GMA News