By CESAR JOLITO III

The Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) is targeting to fully restore electricity in its entire franchise area by the weekend following the widespread outages caused by Typhoon “Tino,” chief operations officer Engineer Bailey del Castillo said in a press conference.

Del Castillo reported that more than 100 electric poles were toppled by strong winds when “Tino” struck Negros Island on Tuesday, November 4, causing extensive damage to power lines and distribution systems.

Out of NEPC’s approximately 250,000 consumers, about 14 percent have already been re-energized as of Tuesday, while the remaining 217,000 customers are expected to have their power restored by the weekend.

“We are still assessing the full extent of the damage inflicted by Typhoon ‘Tino,’” Del Castillo said, adding that a total blackout occurred at the height of the storm after power supply from the grid was cut off.

He explained that the combination of toppled poles, fallen trees and strong winds caused electric wires to snap and hit each other, resulting in short circuits and system faults.

As part of their ongoing efforts, Del Castillo said that 70 teams — or around 350 personnel — have been deployed across affected areas to fast-track restoration work.

He also announced that NEPC’s main office will remain open 24 hours a day to attend to customer concerns. In the meantime, disconnection activities have been suspended, and consumers are advised that while bill payments are temporarily unavailable at the main office, they may settle their accounts through accredited third-party collection firms.

“Our focus right now is full restoration. We want to bring back electricity to every household and establishment as soon as possible,” Del Castillo emphasized./CJ, WDJ