The whole of Mindanao was plunged into seven hours of darkness as a sudden blackout yesterday, initially spawned fears of a terror attack or the start of a looming energy crisis until authorities resumed power and called it a result of a “technical glitch.”
Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Carlos Jericho L. Petilla saidthat the system-wide blackout started at 1:01 a.m., but the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) fully restored power at 7:50 a.m.
DOE Director Mylene Capongcol said “initial indications (as reported to them by NGCP) showed 3-phase fault at Aurora-Nagamin line 1 and 2 and Agus 6 power transformer.”
The NGCP said the line fault at the Aurora-Nagamin transmission line plus a technical glitch at the power transformer of Agus 6 hydropower plant was the culprit.
Petilla said investigations have also been zeroed-in at possible contributing factors from the Agus 6 and 7 hydro plants.
Malacañang, for its part, was to declare the sudden power outage in parts of Mindanao as technical failure and not the result of any security problem.
Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said this possible cause of loss of power in the south is now being verified by the DOE.
Capongcol said that while power has been fully restored in the level of the NGCP, bringing back electricity service completely could take longer at the level of the distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, hence, some consumers experienced stretched power interruptions until mid-day on Sunday.
“NGCP restored at 7:50 a.m. Sunday its power transmission services to affected power customers in Mindanao…all NGCP substations are now operating normally,” company spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza has noted.
The affected areas included Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Agusan, Cagayan de Oro City, General Santos City, Bukidnon, Zamboanga City, Surigao City, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, South Cotabato and North Cotabato.
Elizabeth Ladaga, of the NGCP in Zamboanga City, said all local electric cooperatives and distribution utilities are normalizing now after the entire Mindanao island suffered power failure.
Manila Bulletin
