BUTUAN CITY (November 24) -- The National Transmission Commission's Northeastern Mindanao Area (District 4) here stepped up replacement of pilfered parts on its steel towers along the Aplaya-Butuan and Ampayon-Anislagan 138,000-volt transmission lines to ensure their strength and durability.

Butuan Branch employed additional repair teams purposely to focus on the replacement works. It formed four groups of "pakiao" riggers to re-install the missing or pilfered tower parts.

Reinstallation works of the 138,000 volts transmission towers are part of the contingency plan prioritized by Butuan Branch in order to restore the towers' physical stability and avert toppling in case strong typhoons hit the Caraga Region.

"We will see to it that the job will be finished in the earliest possible time to get the assurance of a durable and stable line to deliver uninterrupted power to the locality," Dr. Benjamin Abrahan, Butuan Branch Manager said.

The branch already re-installed lattices for 12 towers but in the latest inspection report of district field personnel, there remain 48 towers for immediate connection. The lattices at the first and second sections of these towers were massively stolen by the law-less elements leaving only their column-post and some members.