AT LEAST 85 percent of the customers in all the service areas of the Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp) affected by typhoon Cosme have already been given electricity as of June 10.

This, even as the electric company wondered how thieves were able to take away a costly 750 kilovolt ampere (KVA) transformer from a fallen post soon after the typhoon without anyone in the village of Mayombo noticing it.

Augusto Sarmiento, Decorp’s operations manager, said at least 92.37 percent of the households in Dagupan City are now energized.

Dagupan, the biggest trade and commercial center of Pangasinan, is Decorp’s biggest service area.

Decorp’s service areas include Dagupan, Calasiao, Sta.Barbara, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag.

In a report to the city council headed by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez on Tuesday, Sarmiento reported 99 percent restoration in most of the barangays in Dagupan.

Exception to this is the island barangay of Lomboy which is not yet energized a bit. The firm vowed to do overtime starting last Tuesday in order to restore electricity there within 24 hours.

Sarmiento also reported only 44 percent restoration in barangay Mayombo as Decorp lost one 750 KiloVolt Ampere transformer, weighing 300 kilos, the day after the typhoon.

He wondered aloud how a 300-kilo transformer tightly fastened to an electric post disappeared without the residents in the area noticing it, even if the pilferage was done at night without electricity.

Sarmiento theorized that the incident may have been perpetrated by a group of persons who used a boom truck to lift the transformer after detaching it from the post.

When the transformer was found at the premises of barangay councilman Pedro Rebudal, Jr., its core coil was already removed. The councilman was charged with violation of the anti-fencing law.

It will take one hour, accpording to Sarmiento, to remove the transformer from the fallen electric post and another two hours to remove its core coil, he said, adding that it was impossible that residents in the area did not see the perpetrators.

When it was found at the premises of the councilman, only the transformer’s solid body remained, Sarmiento said.

Decorp also reported 64 percent restoration in barangay Bonuan Binloc, 72.9 percent in barangay Bonuan Boquig and 85.78 percent in Bonuan Gueset.

Sarmiento said Decorp is on track in its promise to restore electricity in the whole of Dagupan within 30 days after typhoon Cosme. (PNA)