BAGUIO CITY: “BENECO IS READY FOR MAWAR”

May 27, 2023 Community Billboard

Engr. Ramel Rifani, BENECO Acting General Manager, said of the cooperative’s preparedness a day prior the super typhoon’s expected landfall in the country. The co-op has started to ensure sufficient inventory of materials: poles, transformers, and line hardware in preparation for the damages that super typhoon Mawar will incur, Rifani said. As of Friday afternoon, the NSD has prepared the usual notice for personnel and jobbers in readiness for the declaration of red alert and the corresponding mobilization of personnel when the need arises through its Task force, Rifani said.

“The activation of BENECO’s disaster preparedness bible—the BENECO Disaster Mitigating and Emergency Restoration Plan (BDMERP) that has been in place for several years–will depend on
the damages incurred and the scope of areas with power interruption, even if there is no storm signal,” Rifani explained. If the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in the region declares a red alert, BENECO will also automatically activate its Task Force and its BDMERP. The Commander on the
Ground will be Engr. Mario Calatan, NSD’s OIC-Department Manager.

“BENECO as a world class utility company has been following its protocol, and is prepared for this kind of contingencies. We can ramp up the team once there is need for it,” Interim Board Chairperson Steve Cating said, expressing his confidence to BENECO disaster preparedness team.
Cating called for patience and understanding once the typhoon hits Baguio and Benguet and consumers will experience power blackout, since time is needed for the BENECO linemen to safely
restore power.

LSI