MANILA - Bringing back the electricity in Bohol has been a challenge for the Department of Energy (DOE) Task Force on Energy Resiliency (TFER), but power in the province is expected to be back late Wednesday night or by Thursday morning. In a press briefing Wednesday, DOE Director Mario Marasigan said the TFER is committed to partially restoring power in Bohol before yearend. "Since we have challenges for the main transmission system interconnection, we just granted Certificate of Exemption from the conduct of competitive selection process for the emergency purchase of their needed power in an islanding operations," Marasigan said pertaining to Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI), a major private power distributor in Bohol. He added that there is now a power barge in Bohol that is ready to partially supply the needs of Bohol Light as well as the other two electric cooperatives in the province. "We are hoping that if not possible later tonight, then probably tomorrow there will be partial power supply already in Bohol," Marasigan said. As of writing, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Engineering Project Management Department Head Randy Galang confirmed that zero transmission lines in Bohol were restored since the onslaught of Typhoon Odette last Dec.16. Galang identified major challenges in reconnecting power in Bohol, which include restoring the transmission line between Leyte and Bohol, the intermittent signal in restoration sites, accessibility to restoration sites due to damages in infrastructure, fuel supply, and weather conditions. According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), moderate to heavy with at times intense rains is expected over Bohol, Caraga region, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Camiguin. For BLCI alone, five of its substations were reported to be damaged by 'Odette' affecting its 22,000 customers. The total cost of damage reached PHP18.2 million. The TFER targets to fully restore power in BLCI's franchise areas by end-January 2022. For the Visayas grid, 63 out of 75 transmission lines were brought back. Meanwhile, in Mindanao, Galang reported that 100 percent of 20 transmission lines damaged by the recent typhoon were restored. The TFER is still assessing with distribution entities in Mindanao to ensure delivery of power supply to customers before the year ends. (PNA) }