The Department of Energy (DOE) has voiced strong support for enhanced flood control projects, emphasizing their critical role in speeding up power restoration and safeguarding the country’s energy infrastructure during extreme weather events.
In a statement, the DOE identified widespread flooding as the leading obstacle to restoring electricity in typhoon-hit areas. “Flooding blocks access roads, submerges electrical equipment, and exposes our crews and the public to life-threatening hazards,” said DOE undersecretary and Energy Resiliency Task Force chairman Felix William Fuentebella. “We cannot rush restoration if it risks electrocution, equipment failure, or further damage.”
The agency cited recent storms Crising, Dante, and Emong, where hundreds of customers in low-lying areas such as Bulacan and Pangasinan remained without power for up to five days due to receding flood waters delaying repair efforts.
Beyond residential blackouts, flooding also disrupted fuel supply chains, with gas station operations hampered as staff could not access work sites—impacting transportation, commerce, and critical services.
Fuentebella stressed that upgrading the country’s flood mitigation systems is essential not just for immediate recovery but for long-term energy resilience. “As the President rightly pointed out, this is a problem we must address for the future,” he said.
