After battling landslides, floods, and toppled poles caused by two consecutive typhoons, the Antique Electric Cooperative (Anteco) has fully restored power across its 537 barangays provincewide.
Anteco general manager Neal Peter Veñegas said on Wednesday, November 12, that their teams “worked round-the-clock” to bring electricity back to all 18 municipalities after Typhoon Tino and the earlier storm battered Antique.
Restoration began immediately on November 4, focusing first on town centers before extending to upland and coastal areas where access was hampered by debris and washed-out roads.
Based on Anteco’s assessment, damage reached around P2 million, mostly from fallen trees hitting electric posts and cut transmission lines.
Veñegas reminded consumers to be prudent with electricity use as demand typically spikes during the Christmas season — a time when Antique’s power load can surge to 30 megawatts.
He urged households to turn off Christmas lights when not in use and limit air-conditioning, noting that cooler weather already makes it unnecessary.
Veñegas also cautioned that rising demand from electric cooperatives across the region could push prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) higher.
He said that if the demand rises, the power costs at WESM could jump to P10–P15 per kilowatt-hour, adding that Anteco might need to adjust rates accordingly.
Despite the looming hike, Anteco assured residents that its systems are now fully operational, underscoring the cooperative’s resilience in restoring power amid back-to-back storms.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.