An electric cooperative in Leyte is building more substations amid growing power demand in the central part of the province.

Allan Laniba, general manager of Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (Dorelco), said in an interview Monday that the construction of a 10 MVA (MegaVolt Ampere) substation in Abuyog town is now ongoing to help ensure power stability in the area.

Recently, Dorelco completed the 5 MVA substation in Tanauan town to serve power consumers of Tanauan and Dagami towns.

Two years ago, the power cooperative completed the 5MVA substation in Mayorga town covering the towns of Lapaz, Mayorga, Macarthur, and Javier.

The 5 MVA Javier substation which has been operating for decades, distributes power to Abuyog and Mahaplag towns.

The 10 MVA substation at Dorelco’s office compound in Tolosa town brings electricity to the towns of Tolosa, Tabontabon, Burauen, Julita, and Dulag.

Laniba said that to reduce the load of Tolosa substation, the power cooperative plans to build substations in Dulag and Burauen towns.

A substation is a high-voltage electric system facility being used to switch generators, equipment, and circuits or lines in and out of a system.

The electric cooperative is investing a minimum of PHP32 million to build a substation.

“It’s like a heart of power distribution system. We need substations in these areas since businesses are booming. If an area is far from a substation, it can trigger brownouts due to low voltage,” Laniba added.

Dorelco was established on June 21, 1971, thru the declaration of Presidential Decree 269, as Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LECI) financed by a long-term loan of PHP28 million to the government through NEA by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Its first franchise was approved in 1977.

The cooperative’s franchise area is 164,426 hectares bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the eastern part and the mountainous range of central Leyte area. As of June 2023, the cooperative distributes power to 103,107 consumers. (PNA)