MEDIA RELEASE
21 May 2008
NEA deploys Task Force Kapatid “Cosme” for CENPELCO
A day after the onslaught of Typhoon Cosme in Northern Luzon, the National Electrification
Administration (NEA) dispatched its engineers last Monday, 19 May 2008, to assess the
damage of the typhoon in the coverage area of the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative,
Inc. (CENPELCO). NEA Administrator Edita S. Bueno herself joined in the assessment of
the extent of damage brought by the typhoon to CENPELCO’s distribution lines yesterday,
20 May 2008, accompanied by several NEA Directors and Managers. Administrator Bueno
called for the deployment of the Task Force Kapatid to help in the power restoration activities
of the cooperative.
True to the bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos, several ECs have signified willingness to join
the NEA initiated Task Force Kapatid “Cosme” for CENPELCO. The Peninsula Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (PENELCO), Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ORMECO),
First Laguna Electric Cooperative, Inc. (FLECO), Batangas I Electric Cooperative, Inc.
(BATELEC I), Tarlac I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO I), Tarlac II Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO II), and Nueva Ecija II Area II Electric Cooperative, Inc.
(NEECO II-Area II) volunteered their best engineers, linemen, boom-trucks, and utility
vehicles to boost CENPELCO’s capability in restoring power to its coverage area the soonest
time possible.
“The Task Force Kapatid, other than restoring power, will give CENPELCO a chance to
rehabilitate dilapidated distribution lines, install new ones, and clear all the lines which will
eventually help lower the cooperative’s systems loss,” said Administrator Bueno in a meeting
conducted shortly after her arrival to CENPELCO yesterday.
The NEA Administrator personally delivered an initial P5 million calamity loan for
CENPELCO to jumpstart the power restoration activities of the Task Force Kapatid (TFK)
Cosme in the coming days. NEA engineers, led by Director Jose H. Seguban, Jr., were
tasked by Administrator Bueno to supervise the deployment and rehabilitation work to be
undertaken by TFK Cosme.
“We should get the full cooperation of everyone through the CENPELCO Board of Directors
and Management’s conduct of information drive in the various districts on the activities to be
implemented by their cooperative and TFK Cosme. We should seek help from the different
local government units (LGUs) under CENPELCO’s coverage area and mobilize the
assistance of barangay officials in the clearing of all the lines from fallen trees and debris so
that TFK teams can concentrate mainly on restoration of the power lines immediately,” added
Bueno.
National Transmission Corporation (TransCo) District Manager, Engr. Gerry Torres, along
with CENPELCO General Manager (GM) Josephine Mandapat, erstwhile CENPELCO
Executive Officer now FLECO’s Project Supervisor Edgardo Piamonte, NAGMEC President
and TARELCO I GM Engr. Resurreccion Coronel, and the CENPELCO Board of Directors
were in attendance to the said meeting with the NEA Administrator. TransCo agreed to
coordinate with TFK Cosme’s power restoration activities. TransCo targets power back
within 15 days. TFK teams will synchronize re-energization of the affected areas within
TransCo’s schedule. A total of 63 transmission towers of TransCo are under CENPELCO’s
coverage area.
The power restoration activities started yesterday after the planning made with the NEA
Administrator. The TFK Cosme teams are tasked to work on the backbone lines, while their
CENPELCO counterparts will work on the lateral lines connecting their member-consumers.
As for the power status, 13 towns have no light as of yet. Only Alcala, Bayambang and
Mangaldan have been restored for receiving a minor blow from typhoon Cosme. Aguilar is
the worst hit in the CENPELCO coverage area.
“The ECs, like CENPELCO, will never be out of the picture especially in situations like this.
We have shown this a number of times with every deployment of the Task Force Kapatid.
This is the chance to show to the country that the ECs are made up of inner and greater
strength. Our solidarity has bound us together for the noble cause of putting the best interest
of the country and of our people above all others. We are also willing to extend the Task
Force Kapatid Cosme’s power restoration activities to other ECs in Pangasinan affected by
the typhoon should they request for it according to their assessment of the extent of damage.
Our bayanihan spirit is really something that we can be proud of as a nation,” concluded
Bueno.###