MANILA — The Department of Energy (DOE) said efforts to restore power in earthquake-affected areas of Mindanao are underway, with several generating plants and transmission facilities expected to resume operations in stages starting this week.
Following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Sarangani on June 8, repair teams—supported by utility workers from unaffected regions—have been deployed under a coordinated response initiative aimed at restoring electricity as quickly and safely as possible.
Among the facilities still offline are key coal-fired generating units in Davao Occidental and Sarangani, with restoration targets set between Wednesday and Saturday pending final safety assessments.
In some areas, power plants remain operational but are unable to deliver electricity due to damaged distribution lines affecting thousands of households. Isolated communities, including island barangays served by microgrid systems, continue to experience outages while repairs are ongoing.
The DOE noted that weather conditions and earthquake-triggered landslides have slowed clearing operations in several locations, particularly along transmission corridors.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin emphasized that priority is being given to restoring power to hospitals, emergency facilities, and other critical infrastructure as recovery work continues across the region.
ia/xf
