INJURED. Emergency responders provide first aid treatment to the two linemen who were injured when the electric pole they were erectingcollapsedin Hinigaran, Negros Occidental on Wednesday afternoon (Dec. 29, 2021). On Thursday (Dec. 30), the two were reported already recuperating in a hospital.(Photo courtesy of Bureau of Fire Protection-Hinigaran, Negros Occidental) BACOLOD CITY - Two linemen working on power supply restoration along the highway of Barangay Pilar in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental were injured on Wednesday afternoon when the electric pole they were installing collapsed. They were identified as Gaspel Reyes, 25, of Barangay Lag-asan in Bago City, Negros Occidental; and Remiel Calapillo, 27, of Pototan town in Iloilo Province. The right arms of both linemen were injured and they were immediately treated by responders from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). On Thursday, the two were already recuperating in a hospital. The BFP-Hinigaran posted a report and photos of the incident on its Facebook account. Power restoration operations are ongoing in southern Negros, which is under the coverage area of Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (Noceco), after electrical poles and power lines were toppled during the onslaught of Typhoon Odette on December 16. In the past week, linemen from various distribution utilities in Panay Island have been deployed in the province to assist Noceco linemen in speeding up power restoration efforts. Those who have provided augmentation to their counterparts in southern Negros are the crew from Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) II and III, Capiz Electric Cooperative (Capelco) and Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco). Among those assigned in Hinigaran were from Ileco II and III. In a Facebook post, the Noceco management said six linemen from Aklan arrived on Wednesday at their main office in Kabankalan City. On Tuesday, eight others from Capelco were also dispatched to Negros Occidental. "Our 'Warriors of Light' who are out in the field while doing the best as they can in restoring our electricity," Noceco said in a statement. The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc., through the Task Force Kapatid, deploys lineworkers, materials, and equipment from member-electric cooperatives to assist typhoon-affected power utilities in the Visayas and Mindanao. (PNA) }