Press Release - Gatchalian urges NEA to ensure resiliency of electric cooperatives during typhoons

Senator Win Gatchalian urged the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to ensure that all electric cooperatives (ECs) are compliant with the requirements of the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund (ECERF) law to mitigate the adverse impact on power supply of natural calamities such as typhoons.

The vice-chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, Gatchalian made the call following widespread devastation brought by tropical storm Kristine that left many households in heavily affected areas still reeling from lack of power supply. With Super Typhoon Leon now in the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), power interruptions could affect even more households across the country.

"The goal of ECERF is not just to provide funds that ECs can tap for the restoration and rehabilitation of ECs' damaged infrastructures following a fortuitous event such as typhoon but to ensure that the distribution utilities are resilient to withstand calamities," he said. The ECERF was put in place as a ready fund that can be tapped by ECs for faster restoration of electricity and power facilities damaged by natural calamities. The fund is administered and managed by NEA.

The principal author of the ECERF law, Gatchalian said ECs are required to submit on an annual basis vulnerability and risk assessment (VRA), emergency response plan (ERP), mitigation plan (MP), and resiliency compliance plan to NEA. In addition, ECs are required to submit the accomplished or implementation status of the respective mitigation projects they identified in their respective VRAs and MPs.

Given that the Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change risks and natural disasters, ECs need to develop their resilience to prevent power interruption or at least shorten the period of such incidents during and after calamities, the senator pointed out. NEA has requested a budget of P200 million for the implementation of ECERF for next year.

On Wednesday, President Marcos urged government agencies to prepare for the impact of Super Typhoon Leon, as most regions continue to recover from the effects of 'Kristine.'

Gatchalian hinimok ang NEA na tiyakin ang katatagan ng