MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 8 May) – Most of Bukidnon will experience a 9-hour brownout on Friday, May 9 so linemen can do maintenance work, reports said.
In an advisory by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the outage is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. so the “aged insulators” in structures along the Maramag-Malaybalay 69 kV transmission line can be replaced.
This will affect areas served by the province’s two distribution utilities: the Bukidnon II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (BUSECO) and the First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative (FIBECO).
Affected BUSECO areas include Malaybalay City, Cabanglasan, Lantapan, 10 barangays of Talakag spanning from Brgy Lerongan to Brgy Indulang and Valencia City’s Brgy. Lilingayon.
FIBECO information officer Jose Eric Barilea said Kitaotao, Don Carlos, Quezon, Kalilangan, Pangantucan, Maramag, Valencia City and San Fernando will also be affected.
BUSECO said they will be doing maintenance works Friday to maximize the time. These include testing and installation of transformers in identified feeders.
In a phone interview, NGCP regional corporate communications officer Beth Ladaga said tomorrow’s outage is part of the company’s preventive maintenance measures.
As to the regular brownouts felt in Mindanao, she said NGCP cannot do anything with the power supply deficiency in the island.
“NGCP only allocates supply from NPC (National Power Corporation) to meet the demands of the [distribution utilities],” she said.
She added that though Steag State Power Inc. has contributed additional 104 megawatts since Wednesday, lowering deficiency from 250 MW to 190 MW as of today, the supply management of the electric cooperatives will still play a big factor.
“Their supply allocation will still depend on the contracts they have secured with NPC and others (private companies),” she said.
Parts of Bukidnon, especially those under BUSECO, have been experiencing 2- to 4-hour brownouts daily .
Aside from Bukidnon, NGCP has also scheduled a 12 noon to 2 p.
m. power interruption in Maguindanao on Friday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. outage in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Davao Oriental on May 10.