NEA task force looking into Occ. Mindoro energy woes

Other criteria factored in are power cooperatives with problems on peace and order, financial liquidity, and those classified as medium and below.

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has formed a task force that would look into the ailing Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative Inc. (OMECO).

The cooperative, which has been facing system reliability, power quality and efficiency issues, is being revived by the Task Force Kapatid, comprised of the different electric cooperatives.

Task Force Kapatid is the same working group tasked to assist Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) and Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO).

NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong said a letter of invitation was sent to members of the task force on 22 August, for the objective of conducting massive line clearing activities and meter clustering of residential consumers in the province.

As of 13 October, Engr. Edward Domingo, the NEA designated technical assistant to OMECO, said the task force has completed clearing approximately 70 kilometers of distribution lines or 79.25 percent of the 1,099 target spans.

With respect to meter clustering, the task force has achieved 78.72 percent or 492 cluster boxes out of the target of 625, Domingo said.

Electrifying the low-energization-rate cooperatives is one of the priorities of NEA in a bid to fully-energize the country by 2022.

For next year, the agency has proposed for P1.16 billion or the continuation of the Sitio Electrification Program next year, which is expected to benefit a total of 775 sitios across the country.

To determine the priority areas, Masongsong said that electric cooperatives with an electrification level of 74 percent and below as of 2015 will receive the bulk of its allocation next year, while those with 95 percent energization level will be the least priority.

The NEA chief said other criteria factored in are power cooperatives with problems on peace and order, financial liquidity, and those classified as medium and below.