To gain a better understanding of the complexities of the ORMECO organization and its operations, it is necessary to look back to its origins and the concomitant struggles that it went through all these years – events that helped transform and mold it into the stable institution that I is now. It is significant to note that the first two decades of rural electrification program implementation in the province saw the formation and development of two electric cooperatives, ORMECO I and ORMECO II, which would eventually merge to become what is presently known as ORMECO.

The rural electrification program in Oriental Mindoro started in March of 1971 when NEA formed the Provincial Electric Cooperative Team (PECT) that would assist the agency in undertaking a feasibility study for the creation of an electric old1cooperative in the province.

Results of the feasibility study, which was completed the following year, provided and subsequently paved the way for the establishment of the first electric cooperative in the province. The Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ORMECO I) initially covered the 5 municipalities of BACO, San Teodoro, Calapan, Naujan, and Victoria. Following the incorporation, ORMECO I was formally registered with NEA of February 16, 1973. Thus began its monumental task and mission to bring the benefits of electricity to the whole province of Oriental Mindoro.

The major constraint then faced by ORMECO I in pursuing an aggressive program of implementation was the immediate availability of adequate power supply. Prior to the creation of ORMECO I, two power plants, one in Calapan and the other in Naujan, were being independently operated by private franchise holders. With the assumption of ORMECO I, the electric cooperative bought and took over the facilities of Naujan Electric System with a 160 kW generator and the Calapan Electric system with its 1,022 kW generating sets owned by Mr. Isidro Ongsip and Encarnacion family respectively.

Soon after, the construction of the Calapan Diesel Power Plant (CDPP) followed and two (2) large Pielstick generating sets from France were acquired and installed with a generating capacity of 5.5 MW and 3.5 MW respectively. The new additional installations were a significant boost to ORMECO I’s power supply and enabled it to extend its lines further to a wider expanse of its service area.

The First Pole Erection

The symbolic pole erection at Simaron, Calapan on November 4, 1975 signaled the start of ORMECO I’s program of line construction and extension of power distribution lines. While improving its power generating capability, ORMECO I was simultaneously developing its backbone line system that would interconnect all town centers within its coverage area. On August 22, 1976, the town of Baco was old2energized; the energization of the town of Victoria followed on September 12, 1976. Shortly after, on February 21, 1977, San Teodoro, the last town within its original area coverage, was energized.

At this time, construction of the coop’s official headquarters complex located at Simaron, Calapan was finally competed and on April 12, 1977, ORMECO I’s first Annual General Membership Assembly was held on this site. It was during this meeting that the inclusion of the town of Puerto Galera into ORMECO I’s coverage area was presented and approved.

ORMECO II Comes in to Being

In the meantime, while ORMECO I was vigorously pursuing the electrification of its coverage area, the clamor for electric service in the southern part of Oriental Mindoro had intensified. In response to this, NEA conducted the necessary studies and initiated the process towards the establishment of the second electric cooperative in the province. On August 15, 1977, the Oriental Mindoro II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ORMECO II) was organized and registered and was mandated to provide electric service to the nine (9) remaining towns in the southern half of the province not covered by the franchise of ORMECO I. ORMECO II then would operate under s set-up that it would have to secure and purchase its power from ORMECO I.

Facing the Ordeal of Natural Calamities

In the midst of all these developments and at this time when both ORMECO I and II were in their early crucial stages of growth, natural calamities hit the province and inflicted widespread damages that further forestalled their efforts and plans to attain efficient and viable operations. On December 1981, typhoon “Dinang” struck and wrought havoc on the two ORMECOs, destroying most of their primary distribution and backbone lines. It was to be the first major devastation on the ORMECO system and an initial test of the coops’ will and power to survive. And indeed, far from being disheartened, ORMECO I and II lost no time in rebuilding their systems and putting their operation back to normalcy.

During the years of rebuilding, however, full recovery was derailed as successive typhoons plagued and battered the province. Whatever was rebuilt was again thrown into disorder; but under such hardships, ORMECO I and II persisted and gained even more strength and mettle to rehabilitate their lines and restore full service as the were committed to provide.

The year 1986 was to be a turning point when the disastrous typhoon “Herming”, the strongest typhoon to hit Oriental Mindoro, left the entire province in a dismal state and resulted in the worst damage ever suffered by the two ORMECO’s. In response to the situation, NEA had to authorize the substantial reconstruction loans to enable the two coops to recover.

Merging of ORMECO I and II

Prior to the approval and release of such loans however, the merging of ORMECO I and ORMECO II was mandated in order for the electric cooperative system to achieve and sustain financial viability. Corollary to this, that task and function of generating and supplying power including the management and operation of local generation facilities, which were also then being undertaken by ORMECO I for the entire province was to be turned over and assumed by the National Power Corporation. The moved was also in consonance with then President Corazon Aquino’s directive of lowering the price of electricity to the level of P2.50/kWh.

On May 20, 1988, after a tedious process that necessitated public assemblies and the approval of the general coop membership, ORMECO I and ORMECO II were officially merged and the surviving cooperative henceforth became known as simply ORMECO. Subsequently the NAPOCOR took over the Calapan Diesel Power Plant and all other power generation activities previously handled by ORMECO in accordance with a memorandum of agreement executed among NEA, NAPOCOR and ORMECO.

In effect, ORMECO was able to concentrate on its rebuilding and recovery efforts as it geared its attention solely towards power distribution and efficient consumer service.

In 1993, ORMECO was able to attain the status of a Category A Large cooperative based on the extent and volume of its operation as compared with other electric cooperative in the country.

However, on December 1993, another destructive typhoon struck ORMECO causing massive floods and damages to ORMECO’s system. Rebuilding efforts were once again undertaken when an intensity 7.1 earthquake hit the province on November 1994. The quake caused large-scale brownouts due to damages to Calapan Diesel Power Plant structure and the 7.2 MW Power Barge moored at WaWa river that was carried two kilometers inland by the onrushing tsunami.

All these have not deterred ORMECO from continuously rebuilding and recovering from the ruins and it has, in fact maintained its class A Large level status over the year. The trials ORMECO had experienced and continue to experience have only made it stronger and more resilient. Such frequent and unrelenting effort to rebuild and rise up after every calamity have proved its resilient ability in the face of any adversity.

Source: ormeco.com.ph