More than half of Tacloban City still without power

MANILA, Philippines – Two months since Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) devastated many parts of the Visayas, many survivors are still without power. 

Eighty-two barangays – or more than half of the villages – in Tacloban City, the hardest-hit area, are still without power, based on the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). 

“As of 07 January 2014, power supply have been restored in 56 out of 138 barangays or 1,243 households in Tacloban City,” reads the January 8 report of the council. 

A total of 1,959 transmission facilities of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in the Visayas were damaged when Typhoon Yolanda made landfall on Nov 8, 2013.

Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla earlier vowed to resign if power in all areas would not be restored before Christmas. He offered his resignation when he was unable to keep his word, but President Benigno Aquino III did not accept it. (READ: Dark Christmas for Yolanda survivors and Aquino rejects Petilla resignation)

The President had said that Petilla only missed restoring 3 towns out of many, and that electricity was restored in these remaining towns 14 hours after the deadline.

NDRRMC has stopped updating the death toll at 6,183. – Rappler.com