PBBM wants sustainable post-disaster recovery

By Sally Atento-Altea

LEGAZPI CITY--- President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. has directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure that post-disaster repairs focus on long-term resilience rather than short-term, temporary fixes.

During his recent visit to Albay province, where he led a briefing on the impact of Super Typhoon Uwan, Marcos emphasized that reconstruction efforts must be durable and adhere to proper standards.

The President noted that previous disasters have highlighted the drawbacks of rushing repairs.

“The problem that we’ve encountered, kung minsan dahil nabagyo, lahat nagmamadali. Kailangan may kuryente na, so basta mabilisan okay na (is that when a storm hits, everyone rushes to make repairs. There’s a need for electricity, so quick solutions are implemented),” he said.

“These are meant to be temporary fixes, pero hindi na nababalikan (but they often go unaddressed),” he added.

Marcos instructed the DOE to ensure that all restored power lines and related infrastructure “are up to standard” and built to withstand hazards.

“So, I ask the DOE to make sure that ang aayusin nila is up to specs (what they repair meets the necessary specifications),” he said.

DOE Secretary Sharon Garin assured Marcos that the DOE and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) are working closely together, not only for immediate restoration but also to implement structural upgrades in line with the President’s directive for resilience.

Garin said that the NGCP has reported immediate power restoration efforts, with a goal of reaching 100 percent restoration by the end of the month, except in remote upland areas.

She added that long-term infrastructure improvements will include relocating power poles to more accessible locations and reinforcing power lines for increased durability.

“We want to build better lines. In upland and remote areas where homes were damaged, our target [is to complete repairs by] December [so that residents] will have a bright Christmas,” she said.

Carla Mata from Legazpi City was one of the residents who welcomed the administration’s reinforced restoration efforts.

“Kuryente (electricity) is life. I agree with PBBM that the safety and resilience of our power facilities are of utmost importance during post-disaster repairs and power restoration,” she said. (PIA Bicol/Albay)