How Central Negros Found Its Power After Typhoon Tino

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Rebuilding Light and Hope: How Central Negros Found Its Power After Typhoon Tino

When Typhoon Tino struck Central Negros, it left more than wrecked roads and felled trees — it severed our link to electricity. For many communities, the storm knocked down transmitter lines, toppled poles, and cut off power to thousands of households. Suddenly, our homes plunged into darkness, and daily life came to a halt.

But in the weeks that followed, something remarkable took shape: a large-scale recovery effort by Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power), local governments, and dedicated crews brought electricity back to the majority of customers — faster than many expected. The outcome wasn’t just repaired wires; it was renewed trust, solidarity, and a glimpse of resilience.

More Than Repairs: Prioritizing Lives, Not Just Lines

Restoring power after a storm is not just technical work — it’s a lifeline for communities. For many families in Central Negros, the returned electricity meant more than lights: it meant refrigerators for preserved food, fans in sweltering nights, charging of phones to stay in touch, and enabling children to study at night.

Negros Power reportedly re-energized all sub-transmission lines, multiple substations, and dozens of feeders across affected zones. This wide-scale reactivation meant that in months’ time, majority of the 200,000+ affected customers got reconnected. For urban centers such as Bacolod City, almost the entire secondary network was restored.

This quick turnaround shows that in disaster response, prioritizing rapid power restoration isn’t a luxury — it’s an essential service that directly touches the welfare of households, workers, students, and vulnerable groups.

A Hidden Infrastructure: The Backbone Behind Electrifying Recovery

It’s easy to overlook the physical underpinnings of electric service — the lines, substations, feeders, transformers. What Typhoon Tino revealed is how fragile this backbone can be when exposed to nature’s force.

Negros Power’s successful re-energizing of sub-transmission lines and substations highlights the importance of not just repair, but of resilient and responsive infrastructure. Every energized feeder meant fewer dark homes. Each restored substation was a signal: the grid can bounce back, and local governments, utilities, and communities can coordinate better.

The restoration also underscores that investments in maintenance, pre-emptive reinforcement, and emergency readiness for critical infrastructure are necessary — especially in typhoon-prone regions like Central Negros.

Beyond the Grid: What a Fast Recovery Does for Community Confidence

When power returns fast after a disaster, it’s more than convenience — it restores a sense of normalcy and confidence. Residents begin to believe that despite storms or adversity, order can return. Houses become livable again. Businesses, even small sari-sari stores, can resume. Students can continue studies. Hospitals and clinics can serve patients.

This ripple effect matters. A restored grid signals to communities that their needs matter. It builds trust between people and service providers. And when repair crews show up quickly, it builds hope.

For many in Central Negros, the swift action by Negros Power was more than a corporate duty — it felt like a promise kept.

Lessons From Tino — Preparing for the Next Storm

Tino may have passed, but the experience offers lessons:

First, having robust infrastructure matters. Sub-transmission lines, substations, feeders — all need regular maintenance and upgrading.
Second, during a disaster, quick coordination between utility providers, local governments, and communities is vital. Restoration is faster when people work together.
Third, disaster recovery isn’t just technical — it’s social. Restoring light helps restore livelihoods, safety, and dignity.
Finally, transparency and communication matter: people waiting for reconnection deserve clear updates. Knowing when and how electricity will return reduces anxiety.

For Central Negros, Tino was a test of resilience. The recovery — especially the electric restoration — was a passing mark. But more important than that: it was a reaffirmation that even after calamity, light and hope can come back.