The Department of Energy (DOE) is focusing power restoration efforts in four areas in northern Luzon that were battered by Typhoon Egay.

In a virtual media briefing Saturday, DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said these are the franchise areas of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc., Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc., Cagayan II Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Abra Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Fuentebella said power restoration in these franchise areas is still below 50 percent.

“Doon po nakatutuok at doon din papunta ang ating mga contingence sa Task Force Kapatid (Our Task Force Kapatid contingence is heading and focused in these areas),” he said.

Task Force Kapatid, or the Task Force on Energy Resilience, is led by the DOE, wherein distribution utilities provide their resources to electric cooperatives (ECs) affected by natural calamities to ramp up power restoration activities.

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) reported that 64 percent of nearly 1.6 million consumers in the franchise areas of the affected ECs have been fully energized as of Saturday.

About 577,530 consumers are still waiting for electricity to be restored.

Fuentebella noted that Egay has affected nine regions covering 38 provinces.

“Fifty out of 62 electric cooperatives are in normal operations,” he added.

He said only three power plants with a total capacity of 88 megawatts remain offline – the 81-MW Caparispisan Wind Power, and two hydroelectric power plants in Benguet with a combined capacity of 7 MW.

In terms of transmission services, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has fully restored all affected transmission lines as of Friday.

Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Company said it has fully restored the electricity in its franchise areas. (PNA)