Boracay power line rehab works on target

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Line rehabilitation works of Task Force Kapatid in Boracay Island are ongoing, achieving nearly 95 percent of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 priority projects rehabilitation.

PHOTO AKELCO

Engr. Joel Martinez, assistant general manager for engineering of Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco), said the priority projects include works from Barangay Manoc-Manoc proper to Barangay Balabag (Diniwid). The task force targets to finish the line rehabilitation before October 26 – the scheduled soft opening of Boracay Island.

“Itong mga priority projects ang tinitingnan natin na matapos sa Oktubre 26. Nakatutok ang task force sa Phase I and Phase II, pati ang mga contractors. Apektado ang buong Manoc Manoc papuntang CityMall sa Balabag,” he said. 

As of October 5, the task force erected 142 electric posts or 95 percent of 150 posts, laid out 5,505 meters of service wires out of 6,955 meters and retired 44 out of 110 electric posts. A total of 847 kilowatt hour meters were also clustered out of 944 electric meters.

“Nag install din tayo ng bagong electric meters at ang mga dating mechanical electric meters ay na pull-out natin. Mga transformers ay bago na rin para sa magandang serbisyo sa Boracay. Ang poste na pina-pull-out ay medyo mabagal pa rin dahil sa hindi maganda ang daan. Tinutulungan natin ang mga telephone companies na ang kanilang mga kable ay maibaba at maiaayos,” Martinez added.

Akelco will also install additional equipments to improve the reliability of power supply along Feeder 12 from Manoc-Manoc to Yapak and Feeder 10 from Manoc-Manoc to Balabag.  

“Hindi lang rehabilitasyon ng linya ang ginagawa. Para ma-minimize ang power interruption after ng opening ng Boracay, may mga reclosers tayo na na-installed sa mga feeders natin,” Martinez added.

Task force Kapatid personnel also extended their stay in Boracay until October 20 to allow them to complete the line rehabilitation. The linemen from electric cooperatives in Western Visayas were supposed to help in the rehabilitation works  from September 5 to October 5.

Martinez also apologized to electric consumers of Boracay Island on the daily power interruption from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Ginagawa natin ito para sa uninterrupted power line rehabilitation at sa safety na rin na mga linemen,” he stressed.

On October 11, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) also scheduled a power interruption from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Boracay Island to replace 13.2KV Phase A bushing for 30MVA transformer.