DANECO to lose P66M in power revenues due typhoon damage

The Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (DANECO) is set to lose at least P66 million worth of revenue every month, until its power lines are able to transmit power to its consumers as a result of the damage wreaked by Typhoon Pablo last December.
“Mga 30 to 40 percent ang mawala sa DANECO in terms of revenues (DANECO is set to lose 30 to 40 percent in revenues),” said DANECO OIC Manager Engr. Benedicto Ongking said during the Kapihan sa PIA  Friday.
Ongking said the power cooperative has a monthly revenue of P220 million and every month that its power lines remain unable to operate means millions of revenue losses for DANECO.
He cited the big damage in Compostela valley’s mining area as a big contributory factor in the revenue losses. “Sa Diwalwal bagsak lahat ng poste doon (all posts in Diwalwal have fallen),” he said,                                      
Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc (Philreca) Board of Administrator Engr. Wilfredo Billena said the typhoon’s destruction is an “opportunity loss for cooperatives if it can’t operate immediately.”
But no matter what repairs the power cooperatives do, he said, they could not operate without power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“If NGCP lacks people then we will volunteer to help them,” he said. He said there should be a concerted effort in restoring the power lines because “without NGCP lines useless and repairs ng mga power cooperatives.”
Billena said the electric cooperatives have institutionalized support for fellow power cooperatives through Task Force Kapatid which has already provided an immediate response to the power cooperatives that have been hit by Typhoon Pablo.[LAC]