Pangasinan: The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) announced on Sunday that it will dispatch seven linemen and a foreman to Pangasinan to assist in the restoration of electricity in areas affected by Typhoon Emong.

According to Philippines News Agency, INEC Chief of Staff, lawyer Athena Nicolette Pilar, confirmed the deployment. She stated that the team would focus on repairing toppled transmission lines for a duration of at least one week. "The team sent by INEC is a voluntary initiative of INEC through our acting general manager Perry Martinez," Pilar said.

Perry Martinez emphasized that this initiative serves as INEC's way of giving back, as Ilocos Norte was largely spared from the typhoon's worst impacts. The team will be based in Bani, Pangasinan, which is among the hardest-hit areas.

Electric cooperatives from various regions of the country have also sent personnel to support the restoration efforts in the areas affected by the typhoon. Currently, several areas in Pangasinan remain without electricity due to the damaged Palamis-Bolinao 69kV line serving PANELCO, affecting towns like Dasol, Bani, Concordia, and Tara.

PANELCO 1 General Manager Jojo Segundera expressed gratitude towards INEC for their prompt response, despite the cooperative also experiencing the storm's effects. In Ilocos Norte, the damage from Typhoon Emong has been minimal, with the exception of a tornado that damaged homes in Paoay on Saturday. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported.