Lapu-Lapu blackout to run for two days

CEBU, Philippines - Officials yesterday clarified that the scheduled blackout in Mactan Island will only be on April 9, Sunday, and April 15, Saturday, and won’t run for an entire week.

“So, ako lang i-clarify nga ang brownout is only two days:petsa nuybe which is Sunday, from 6 o’clock in the morning to 5 o’clock in the afternoon and mobalik na pud ang brown-out inig ka petsa 15. Dili tibuoksemana,” said Lapu-Lapu City Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong.

Ycong also clarified that Olango Island is not included in the scheduled blackout since it has a different power supplier.

For his part, Gilbert Pagobo, vice president and general manager of Mactan Electric Company which supplies the power requirements in the island, said rotational brownouts are possible from April 9 to 15, depending on the loads needed by National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) during their prefatory activities of the installation of their third transformer.

The installation of the third transformer of NGCP is for the expansion of the Lapu-Lapu gas insulated sub-station capacity which is seen to address the growing power needs of Oponganons.

Currently, NGCP has two transformers with 100 mega volt amperes supplying the whole Lapu-Lapi City.

“Mao ni atong likayan pero kani siya magdepende sa desisyon sa NGCP, kay ang NGCP siya man ang mag-monitor sa status sa transformer sa pila na’y load sa transformer. Kung pananglitan na-monitor nga mosaka na beyond sa capacity sa transformer nga nahabilin karon, mao na na nga motawag sila sa Meco,” said Pagobo.

Meco will then decide which areas to reduce power supply in so that it can be allocated to areas that need it more.

For the possible brownouts, MECO assures that the public will be informed through text messages and regular updates on its Facebook page.

Pagobo said there will only be partial blackout on April 9 since there are some areas in Lapu-Lapu that will still have electricity, which will include Mactan Export Processing Zone 1 and some portions of Barangay Ibo.

“Kaning portion sa Ibo, inyong mabantayan dapit sa eskwelahan ug sa barangay hall naka konektar ni siya sulod sa Mepza so, Mepza being served by EAST Asia so silang pundoka diha dili sila maapil sa petsa nuybe,” he said.

East Asia is an independent power producer of the whole MEPZ 1 facility.

On April 15, however, there will be a total blackout since East Asia will also conduct its annual maintenance.

An estimated 80,000 consumers will be affected by the power interruptions on April 9 and 85,000 to 87,000 on April 15.

Meanwhile, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport management has assured that the scheduled blackouts will not disrupt the airport’s operations.

According to Jelly Suaco, head of Mactan International Airport Corporate Affairs and Brand Management, this is because they were informed by the city government and NGCP ahead of time.

“We are prepared at hindi maapektuhan ang operations sa airport,” shetold The FREEMAN in a phone interview yesterday.

Suaco added that in case of power outage, the airport has two generators and another two backups in case the outage lingers. (FREEMAN)