The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) has committed to issue Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) the tree cutting permits it need to clear transmission lines from obstruction and to help resolve persistent brownouts.
PENRO officer-in-charge Eriberto Saños said during a closed-door regular meeting of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) that the issuance of the tree cutting permit is necessary to solve PALECO’s power distribution problem particular to vegetation obstruction.
“Wala namang problema ‘yon lalo na ‘yong mga trimming ng mga puno — we can issue trimming permits kung kinakailangan. Unang-una, ito ay para sa service para sa publiko. Tungkol naman doon sa mga puno na puputulin, lalo na at ito ay mga naturally-grown, kaagad-agad natin iimbentaryuhin at we can recommend for the issuance agad ng clearance from the regional office,” Saños said.
He added that the Department of Energy (DOE) cited the vegetation along roadsides that affect the distribution lines which
causes the frequent power outages in Puerto Princesa City and parts of Palawan.
“Mag-request na ang PALECO… so para ma-mobilize ko na ang lahat ng CENROs para mag-create ng kaniya-kaniyang team para maibentaryo na [ang mga puno] na madadaanan,” Saños said.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, created the Inter-Agency Coordinating Committee and Task Force PALECO (IACC-TF) in February to address the power outages in the province.
Part of this task force is around 60 people from 10 different electric cooperatives in the country who will come to Palawan on the second week of August to help resolve PALECO’s problems until October 2019.
