24/11/2025
Challenges faced by Negros Power Restoration efforts after typhoon Tino.
In - Depth : Manny Canto
Typhoon Tino was one of the strongest storms to ever lash Negros Island with gusts reaching 220 kph under Signal No. 4—many of us were reminded of the island’s vulnerability.
Even decades-old trees that withstood the fury of Typhoon Odette in December 2021 finally gave way to typhoon Tino. Negros Power vegetation efforts to no avail , it did not withstood Tinos fury , it uprooted old century trees , some are fruitbearing. We know for a fact that vegetation is just taking away the branches of trees that is dangerous to the poles and electric wires and facilities , however we cannot predict nor assess with utmost certainty the would be effect of typhoon Tino.
Just take a second look what happened to Canlaon and other parts of Negros Occidental. They did not expect that it will happen to them considering that for the longest period of time according to residents Canlaon never experienced such destruction. They are pro-active in some other ways but eventhough residents cannot do away the unforeseen event unfold to them. No amount of being pro-active when the nature take its course.
When it comes to disasters and calamities no amount of pro- activity will suffice nature is unpredictable. On the other hand there are critics that say Negros Power must be pro- active.
Indeed Negros Power was pro-active like the vegetation efforts, however , vegetation has no room because the typhoon uprooted it. Granting for the sake of discussion that Negros Power knew that the tress will be uprooted by the typhoon what can they do? And if you were in their shoes what will you do?
Maybe you should ask before hand the permission of DENR to uproot ahead the trees. And secure the consent of various individuals to uproot their fruit bearing tress inside their property. Do you think they will give in to your request? Remember when Noah told his neighbors to help him build the ark because a massive flood will wipe out their place but nobody heed to his appeal because at that time the weather is very hot. It is easier said than done that being pro- active is the solution.
It is not an easy task to undertake by Negros Power . The fact still remains that they respond accordingly despite the magnitude , and widespread of things to fix. Maybe try to put our shoes in their shoes and we will see also how do we respond under the circumstances of that predicament.
According to the data on the ground substations went offline, poles and power lines downed. The destruction was massive, widespread and painfully familiar. We all know the aftermath of Typhoon Tino yet there are some who refuse to understand the give situation. Hence, the public with all due respect to also understand the situation , and Negros Powers Predicament. We have the right to rant if Negros Power did nothing at all. However they did everything to ensure the restoration as soon as possible. In fact despite the internet lines are unavailable they did its best to inform us of what's happening. They cannot fix altogether at the same time in order to give us what we need.
However , despite the massive destruction caused by typhoon Tino Negros Power responded accordingly 24 / 7. The manpower's timely response is worth commending. As we watched communities slowly come back to life—lights flickering on, small businesses reopening, families finally breathing easier—I couldn’t help but ask myself: What if CENECO were still our power provider today? Can they respond the same as Negros Power?. Do they have equipments, facilities and the needed technical parts needed to fix everything? To add do they have the required manpower to augment the needed manpower complement.
We will take a quick look at CENECO’s own archived posts provides the sobering comparison. After Odette, it took more than a month to fully restore power—even with augmentation teams from various electric cooperatives, MORE Power, and Task Force Kapatid. The waiting felt endless. Households endured long nights, and businesses suffered immensely.
This time, the story is different. Under the able management of Negros Power, almost 95% of consumers were re-energized in just two weeks, with full restoration expected within days. Thousands of households regained electricity within the first week—a feat almost unthinkable under the old system. This is factual and with technical basis.
This wasn’t luck. It wasn’t mere circumstance. This is attributable to the Management's technical expertise and preparation. The company invested with the state of the art facility , equipment and tools etc. But the most important one is the competence of manpower working hand in hand. The competence of Negros Power Executives is beyond compare who tirelessy work 24/ 7 by shift just to ensure they are there to facilitate the long list of complaints which is expected . They are there to make things happen.
Simple , Negros Power’s rapid restoration was driven by:
A strategic, proactive restoration plan that was activated even before Tino arrived;
Augmentation teams from sister companies in Iloilo, Bohol, and a private utility in Cagayan who moved swiftly and decisively;
Pre-positioned equipment and supplies—something our communities had rarely experienced before;
Collaboration with LGUs, volunteers, and partner utilities, enables quick clearing of trees, debris, and fallen structures.
This is what a modern private utility looks like.
This is what consumers were promised—and this is what they are finally experiencing. The decision to privatize the Central Negros Electric Cooperative to distribution utility, once heavily debated, now stands justified. Not because the storm was kind, but because the response was competent , Efficient and Professional. The kind of service Central Negros has long deserved.
And this is only year one of Negros Power’s five-year rehabilitation.
Imagine what year five will look like. May I say that the typhoon Tino is another baptism of fire. Moving forward Negros Power I'm pretty sure their corporate executives has all the data of what happend and they will assess everything and work on aspects that needs improvement.
A more robust grid and
Modernized facilities.
Systems built to withstand typhoons even stronger than Tino.
Restoration times reduced from weeks to mere days.
Give them time—and the dream of a resilient, reliable power system for Central Negros will not just remain a dream. It will become our everyday reality.
They proved it in Iloilo.
They are proving it now in Negros. And the people are finally seeing what real power service should look like.
