Our journey and milestones
The Northern Samar Electric Cooperative, Inc. or (NORSAMELCO) is the sole electric distribution utility in the province of Northern Samar since its establishment, marking the beginning of electric service delivery in the area. Northern Samar is one of the three provinces in Samar Island, located in Region VIII, also known as Eastern Visayas Region.
NORSAMELCO, established under Presidential Decree No. 269, was formally registered and incorporated with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) on October 1, 1977. In February 1984, it was granted a franchise to distribute electricity to 24 municipalities in Northern Samar: Allen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Catubig, Gamay, Laoang, Lapinig, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Mapanas, Mondragon, Palapag, Pambujan, Rosario, San Antonio, San Isidro, San Jose, San Roque, San Vicente, Silvino Lubos, and Victoria.
NORSAMELCO operates as a non-stock, non-profit, service-oriented entity supervised by the National Electrification Administration (NEA). It has been mandated to promote rural electrification and ensure that the entire coverage area is fully energized.
Electrification Loan: To establish the Electric Cooperative (EC), NEA granted an electrification loan of P16.7 million. Of this amount, 80% was allocated for materials, while 20% was designated for administrative and other incidental expenses in cash.
Initial Coverage Area: The loan was intended for constructing distribution lines from Mondragon to Allen, covering seven municipalities as the initial coverage area.
Commencement of Construction: In August 1980, construction of the distribution lines for the initial coverage area began.
Completion and Energization: By August 1981, the distribution lines for the seven towns were completed, with Catarman being the first town energized.
Expansion of Power Distribution: Gradually, the cooperative extended power to other municipalities. On March 2, 1997, the last town without electricity, the municipality of Lapinig, was finally energized, marking the total electrification of the province.
However, major challenges have confronted NORSAMELCO, including financial constraints that affected its ability to operate efficiently and meet its obligations, technical losses that affected the overall efficiency of its electric distribution system, and management conflicts that led to organizational difficulties.
2012 Performance Rating: As a result of these challenges, NORSAMELCO received a “D” rating in its performance and was classified as Ailing in the 2012 Overall Performance Assessment.
NEA Intervention: Recognizing the urgent need for reform, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) intervened by taking over the cooperative’s management.
Appointment of New Leadership: In July 2013, NEA appointed Engr. Hector N. Tabilisma as Project Supervisor/Acting General Manager.
However, the restructuring and transformation period was not an easy journey. In addition to the financial, technical, and management challenges, NORSAMELCO's electric services were frequently interrupted by typhoons and other calamities that strike the province of Northern Samar almost every year. These include: Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, Typhoons Glenda and Ruby in 2014, Typhoon Nona in 2015, which damaged almost 80% of the distribution system, the Leyte earthquake in 2017, which plunged the province into darkness for nearly two months, Tropical Depression Usman in 2018, Typhoon Tisoy in 2019, Typhoon Ambo in 2020, and flooding caused by the Shear Line in 2023.
Despite these challenges, NORSAMELCO implemented a series of innovative solutions to address the issues. Over time, these efforts paid off, and NORSAMELCO gradually transformed into a more efficient and resilient electric cooperative, capable of delivering improved services to its member-consumers while maintaining financial stability and operational effectiveness.
Dedicated to providing reliable and high-quality electric service to its member-consumer-owners, NORSAMELCO continues to fulfill its mandate effectively while staying true to its vision, mission, and corporate values.
A financially-viable and technologically-advanced electric distribution utility by 2026.
To be an effective instrument in wealth creation by providing reliable and excellent electric service to its member-consumer-owners.
NORSAMELCO's main office is situated in the Municipality of Bobon, specifically in Brgy. Magsaysay. It has four branch offices, each serving specific municipalities:
Branch Office I: Covers the municipalities of Catarman, Lope de Vega, Bobon, San Jose, Rosario, Biri, Mondragon, Silvino Lobos, and San Roque. The office is located in Brgy. Acacia, Catarman.
Branch Office II: Covers the municipalities of Lavezares, Allen, Victoria, San Isidro, San Antonio, Capul, and San Vicente. The office is located in Brgy. Kinabranan II, Allen.
Branch Office III: Covers the municipalities of Pambujan, Laoang, Catubig, and Las Navas. The office is located in Brgy. Rawis, Laoang.
Branch Office IV: Covers the municipalities of Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay, and Lapinig. The office is located in Palapag.
Each branch office serves as a center for providing electricity services and addressing the needs of its respective coverage area.
In the absence of an elected Board of Directors, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) approved the creation of the Task Force Northern Samar Power (TFNSP) for NORSAMELCO to ensure the implementation of strategies and policies. The TFNSP performs the duties and responsibilities of an Electric Cooperative Board of Directors.
NORSAMELCO operates three substation power transformers located in Bobon, Laoang, and Allen. The Bobon transformer, which supplies 51% of the province’s power requirements, has a capacity of 20/26.67/33.33 MVA and provides electricity to the municipalities of Catarman, Bobon, San Jose, Rosario, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, and Silvino Lobos. The Laoang transformer, which meets 33% of the province’s power needs, serves the municipalities of Laoang, Pambujan, San Roque, Catubig, Las Navas, Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay, and Lapinig, operating at a capacity of 15 MVA and a 5MVA backup. Lastly, the Allen transformer, which caters to 16% of the province’s power demand, supplies the municipalities of Allen, Lavezares, Victoria, and San Isidro, with a capacity of 10 MVA.
NORSAMELCO has significantly improved its operations, achieving its first AAA rating from NEA in 2018-a status it has maintained to the present. The cooperative has also been recognized annually with awards from NEA’s Golden Dagitab Awards and PHILRECA’s Awards from the Wires.
Another notable milestone was achieved in 2021 when NORSAMELCO transitioned from an Extra-Large Cooperative to a Mega Large Cooperative.
Recognizing the critical role of its member-consumer-owners (MCOs), NORSAMELCO implements various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, including: