Leading oil firm Petron Corporation has been stepping up repair works and is batting for safe re-opening of its gasoline stations or retail networks hammered by the recent death-dealing typhoon Odette.

Apart from fast-tracking the "return-to-operation" of its retail stations, the oil firm similarly indicated that it will guarantee “sufficient fuel inventory" in the regions that are now suffering from the aftermath of the disaster.

Ramon S. Ang, president and CEO of Petron, asserted “one thing’s for sure, we have enough product inventory to serve the needs of our kababayans in Visayas and Mindanao.”

He, nevertheless, sounded off that “our biggest challenge is quickly and safely reopening damaged service stations,” primarily because of the scale of infrastructure damage hampering the flow of goods and services in the affected areas.

The Petron chief executive noted that “despite limitations, all our teams are working hard to address this (safe reopening of stations).”

Given the gradual return to normalcy of the typhoon-battered communities, Ang further pleaded for public understanding for the long queues at service stations, as he assured that “we’re working with utmost urgency to ease the situation.”

As assessed, there had been disruption of oil supply flow in some areas – and that in the process had affected other restoration activities, including the need to bring back electricity service in calamity-stricken domains.

In Petron’s case, it reported that all of its import facilities in Visayas and Mindanao have been operational since Saturday, Dec. 18. However, it qualified that a number of its stations in several affected regions “have remained closed, as they undergo damage assessment.”

Ang similarly conveyed that opened Petron stations have been utilizing gensets, enabling them to continue serving the public despite no electricity supply in those areas.

The Petron chief executive similarly divulged that the company “sent fresh stocks of fuel to some provinces, giving assurance that there will be enough supply for all.”

The oil firm added “aside from working to expand its number of operational stations in VisMin, the country’s largest oil company is also committed to serving government agencies that are crucial in recovery and clearing efforts, as well as critical installations like hospitals, power plants, water utilities, airports, water transport and others.”