TOLOSA, Leyte – An electric cooperative in Leyte will expand the capacity of its substations this year amid growing power demand in the central part of the province.
Christopher Garcia, assistant general manager of Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative (Dorelco), said in an interview Tuesday that among its major projects this year is expanding the capacity of its substation in Tanauan town and putting up a new one in Julita town.
From the existing 5 megavolt ampere (MVA), Dorelco will upgrade it to 10 MVA within the first quarter of 2026. The substation serves power consumers in Tanauan town and nearby Dagami town.
“We must increase the capacity of the Tanauan substation since the requirement for Tanauan town alone is 4.2 MVA. The upgrading will ensure power stability,” Garcia said.
A substation is a high-voltage electrical facility that facilitates the switching of generators, equipment, and circuits or lines within the system.
Dorelco will also set up a new substation in either Julita or Burauen town to meet the requirements of both areas. Currently, the two towns are connected to a 10 MVA substation at the electric cooperative’s complex in Tolosa town, 50 kilometers away from Burauen.
“It will ensure power quality since we have been experiencing low voltage in Julita and Burauen due to the distance from the existing substation,” Garcia said.
The 10 MVA substation at Dorelco’s office compound in Tolosa brings electricity to the towns of Tolosa, Tabontabon, Burauen, Julita, and Dulag.
Garcia said that to reduce the load on the Tolosa substation, the power cooperative plans to build substations in the towns of Julita or Burauen.
The electric cooperative is also implementing maintenance and repair of substations in Mayorga and Javier towns.
Dorelco was established on June 21, 1971, through Presidential Decree No. 269, as Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (LECI), financed by a long-term PHP28 million loan from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the government through NEA.
Its first franchise was approved in 1977.
The cooperative’s franchise area spans 164,426 hectares, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the mountainous range of the central Leyte area. As of 2025, the cooperative distributes power to over 110,000 consumers.
