NORTHERN BENGUET TOWNS HARDEST HIT BY SUPER TYPHOON  PEPITO

BY: LAARNI S. ILAGAN

Photo credits to BENECO restoration team

The Benguet Electric Cooperative’s distribution system at northern Benguet bore the brunt of super typhoon Pepito in terms of the damage caused on electric poles and other facilities.

Hardest were the towns of Atok, Buguias, Bokod, Bakun, Mankayan and Kabayan.

The electric cooperative reported as of noon yesterday the partial damage  of  P2,098,898.47. Benguet alone recorded a total of P1,434,438.14 in damages. There were 28 poles and four transformers that were destroyed.

Bokod had the highest number of poles destroyed at eight (P387,223.70) followed by Mankayan with 4 poles (P216, 713.51) and Atok, 5 poles (P203, 544.95).

Only 2 poles were damaged in Baguio City, but the damaged three transformers upped the amount of the total cost of damage  for the city alone at P664, 460.33.

BENECO linemen could not restore the collapsed poles as fast as they can due to road closures brought about by landslides and unstable terrain. Fallen trees landed on power lines, forcing the steel poles to bend and cement poles to give way.

Some parts of Circuit 1, Circuit 2, Circuit 4 and Dalicno line along Itogon, all in Benguet, still do not have power. Linemen are conducting pole-to-pole foot patrol traversing several mountains due to collapsed poles at Domolpos that are connected to the Dalicno line.

The affected areas in Circuit 1 are parts of Sagpat (Deckan), and Poblacion (Balaan) in Kibungan while in Circuit 2, the ears affected were Guasarn in Kabayan, and parts of Poblacion (Mangakew & Catidey), Bobok-Bisal, Pito, all in Bokod. Bokod.

Incidentally, there were seven poles destroyed in Pito, which, means seven in the vernacular.

The other areas still without power are parts of Lower Englandad, Tagontongao and  Paoay in Atok.

In Circuit 4, still without power is barangay of Madaymen in Kibungan. Parts of Ampusungan, Baculongan Sur and Sebang (Pasbol) are also without power.

Baguio City’s electricity has already been fully restored. ***(LSI)