Bad weather delays power restoration in Negros

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Continuous rains and strong winds brought by the southwest monsoon, enhanced by Tropical Storm Ferdie and Tropical Depression Gener, have slowed down the power restoration efforts of the Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) in affected areas.

In an update Wednesday, NEPC said the storm’s impact over the past few days has caused trees to fall on power lines, resulting in outages across parts of its franchise area.

“There are still many areas that require vegetation clearing,” the company said.

NEPC assured consumers that crews are working on clearing lines to restore power to affected areas.

The company also asked for continued understanding from consumers and emphasized that all efforts are being made to restore power as quickly as possible.

“The rain and wind brought by the bad weather have caused line troubles, resulting in unscheduled power interruptions in parts of the franchise area,” NEPC added.

The company confirmed that technical teams are actively responding to affected areas and that power will be restored promptly following repairs and troubleshooting.

In a separate statement Tuesday night, NEPC confirmed the death of one of its linemen, Jessie James Torremocha, who “tragically lost his life while diligently working to restore power after the recent severe weather.”

Torremocha passed away at 9 p.m. Tuesday in the intensive care unit of Metro Bacolod Hospital, according to NEPC spokesman Jonathan Cabrera.

“Torremocha was a dedicated and skilled lineman who exemplified the commitment and courage of our entire team,” Cabrera said.

Earlier reports from NEPC indicated that numerous trees had fallen on power lines, causing brownouts. Torremocha was on duty along Circumferential Road, Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, when the accident occurred around 3 p.m. Sunday.

He was approximately 30 feet high in a tree when he fell just as he was about to secure his harness to the next branch, Cabrera explained.

Torremocha lost consciousness due to the impact of the fall and was comatose until he succumbed to his injuries Tuesday night.

His remains will be brought home to Davao City by his wife, who arrived Monday after learning of the accident.