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CEBU, Philippines – A region-wide power outage hit major cities and provinces in Western Visayas on Tuesday, January 2.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said in an advisory posted on energy company More Power Iloilo’s social media page that all the power plants in Panay Island had shut down at around 2:27 pm, and soon after, the Negros-Panay grid had gone out.
Other energy companies like the Guimaras Electric Cooperative (GUIMELCO), Iloilo Electric Cooperative (ILECO), Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO), Antique Electric Cooperative (ANTECO), and Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) posted separate advisories on the system disturbance.
“This emergency power interruption is affecting not only Capiz but the entire Panay, Negros, and Guimaras Islands,” CAPELCO wrote in their statement.
In a statement, the NGCP said that it was working on stabilizing voltage and extending feedback power to Iloilo and Panay. According to them, the Negros-Panay interconnection was restored after it tripped at 3:07 pm.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed his dismay over the power interruptions in Panay Island in a message posted on the Iloilo City government’s Facebook page.
“I am utterly dismayed that due to an unstable supply, the whole Panay Island can be totally isolated,” Treñas said.
The mayor called on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the NGCP to resolve the problem at the earliest possible time, insisting that the latter find a more sustainable solution to the problem.
In 2023, business groups, officials, and electric power cooperatives made calls for sustainable power supply in Western Visayas. They reasoned that long power interruptions put businesses and even the health of consumers at risk.
Treñas added that the Western Visayas Regional Development Council Infrastructure Development Committee will look into the issue immediately.
The DOE announced that it was closely coordinating with the NGCP and all the affected generation plants and distribution utilities, while the Energy Regulatory Commission was investigating the incident.
As of 4:30 pm, the NGCP has re-energized the Santa Barbara-Baldoza lines. – Rappler.com
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