BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The dispute between landowners and repair crews of local power cooperatives in Negros Occidental has been resolved.
Because of this, according to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, power in the southern part of the province may be restored in one and a half months.
A total of 200 electrical posts got toppled when super typhoon “Odette” struck, he said.
The province welcomed additional help from power distribution players based in Iloilo to expedite power restoration in the affected areas.
So far most of the electricity in the northern and central part of the province had already been restored, although power in far-flung villages, especially those located in the mountains, have not yet been fully-restored.
However, as of posting several power cooperatives such as the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO) have already shifted their repair works in the said areas.
Among the areas that still do not have power are he mountain barangays of Don Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, and San Carlos City.
Earlier, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, provincial administrator, said the restoration of electricity in the typhoon-hit areas is being hampered by landowners refusing entry to repair teams.
The dispute over the landowners’ refusal was over rights of way. The problem is particularly rampant in the town of Ilog, one of the hard-hit areas in southern Negros.
The provincial government had already appealed to the uncooperative landowners not to hold hostage the welfare of the people in the southern part of the province./PN
