Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez has mobilized coordinated efforts with utility providers to ensure the immediate restoration of electricity and water services in Bacolod City following the devastation brought by Typhoon Tino.
Benitez convened a meeting on Tuesday with officials of the Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) to address the ongoing power interruption affecting several areas of the city, a press release from his spokesman Councilor Caesar Distrito said.
Present were NEPC President and COO Roel Castro and Vice President Maricel Pe, who provided updates on the company’s restoration operations.
The NEPC officials said efforts are being prioritized from the main power source down to distribution posts, with 73 areas affected by vegetation obstructions and 12 areas with other physical barriers that have slowed down repairs.
NEPC has requested help from the city and barangays in clearing fallen trees and debris that continue to block power lines.
Benitez appealed to NEPC to fast-track the restoration of electricity, stressing that many residents continue to suffer from the prolonged brownouts.
NEPC committed to achieving 100 percent power restoration by Sunday and assured the congressman that they will prioritize the restoration of electricity to the 12 deepwells of PrimeWater that remain without power to help normalize water supply in the city.
“We need to work together so that areas with heavy obstructions can be prioritized for immediate power restoration,” Benitez said.
“Electricity is crucial not only for households but also for essential utilities like water systems”, he said.
In a separate meeting with Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Corporation, Benitez discussed the ongoing restoration of water supply to Bacolod consumers.
PrimeWater reported that out of 70,941 total consumers, 68,995 already have water, while 1,986 households had no water as of Tuesday.
Out of 59 deepwells, 46 are currently operational, while 13 are not functioning due to lack of electricity supply, either from NEPC or from available generator sets (gensets).
Specifically, 18 deepwells are running on gensets, 28 are connected to NEPC, 12 have no power source, and one is being used for general water hauling operations.
“We understand that these deepwells are ready to operate, they just need power. We are working to make sure all available resources are used so that every household in Bacolod will have access to clean and sufficient water,” Benitez said.
To complement Mayor Greg Gasataya and the city’s recovery efforts, Benitez also announced the deployment of 2,700 workers to augment the ongoing declogging and cleanup operations of canals, drainage systems, and waterways for 10 days starting November 21.
BACIWA Chairman Sonya Verdeflor and board members, and John Canatoy of PrimeWater were at the water meeting.
Bacolod City Councilors Distrito, Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Jason Villarosa, Celia Flor, Dindo Ramos, Pao Sy, Homer Bais, Bobby Rojas, and Lady Gonzales-Palen attended both meetings.
Benitez expressed appreciation to the technical teams and frontliners from NEPC, BACIWA, and PrimeWater who continue to work tirelessly to restore normal services.
“We are all working together, my office, the City Government, NEPC, BACIWA, PrimeWater, and our barangays, to bring Bacolod back on its feet as quickly as possible. Our people deserve immediate relief and the full restoration of essential services, especially power and water,” Benitez said.*