Power outage hits Dumaguete City
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 20 (PIA) -- An unannounced power interruption hit Dumaguete City and its neighboring municipalities for almost an hour last Wednesday.
The unplanned power interruption affected electric consumers of Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORECO II) starting 5:13 pm until 6:05 pm.
Consequently, daily operation of electric consumers in the city as well as in the province were disrupted.
According to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Visayas Corp Communication Officer Elmer Cruz, the outage was due to a bamboo pole that hit the conductors at Bolocboloc, Sibulan, Negros Oriental.
Normal operations resumed after the NGCP restored power transmission services in parts of Negros Oriental following the re-energizing of the Amlan-Bacong-Siaton 69kV transmission line.
NGCP continues to strengthen the transmission network with its regular maintenance ac-tivities done in close coordination with NORECO II.
Both utilities are working together to improve services to power consumers, said Cruz. (rmn/JCT/PIA-Negros Oriental)
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DSWD meets with Sendong-hit LGUs for release of cash aid
By Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 20 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now meeting with the mayors of the local government units (LGUs) struck by Typhoon Sendong in Negros Oriental to facilitate the release of DSWD’s housing aid for the typhoon victims.
Staff from DSWD Region 7 office in Cebu City are currently in Dumaguete City to help planning officers and social welfare officers from the Sendong-hit areas complete their paperwork required for the release of said funding assistance.
The meeting aims to address the issues hampering the typhoon-struck LGUs to submit their complete documents based on DSWD’s requirements, primarily the identification of a relocation site for the homeless Sendong victims.
DSWD Region 7 Director Evelyn Macapobre in an interview said her office received months ago the housing aid totaling to P92 million from DSWD central office intended for Sendong victims in the identified affected LGUs in the province.
The financial assistance aims to help the victims repair their houses that were partially or completely damaged by Typhoon Sendong or relocate to a safer site.
“We received the funds for housing aid for Negros Oriental’s victims months ago but we have yet to release them because among the affected LGUs, not one have submitted the complete requirements. Almost all submitted the partial requirements only,” said Macapobre.
Gov. Roel Degamo, in a separate interview, admitted that the provincial government struggled to comply with the requirements for almost three months now.
One of the issues that hampered the disaster-hit areas from submitting the complete requirements is the identification of a relocation site for the typhoon victims.
“The LGUs are having a hard time looking for a relocation lot for the victims, and there are also victims who refuse to relocate,” said Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Alice Lagarde.
Macapobre cited that her office will not release the monetary aid if there are no relocation sites identified.
“Before we give money for construction of houses, there has to be a lot where the construction will take place,” she explained.
Macapobre is confident that their meeting today will ensure the submission of complete requirements from the Sendong-hit LGUs. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)