A transmission line trip along the Leyte–Cebu line at 1:05 p.m. triggered NGCP's System Integrity Protection Scheme, cutting electricity to 46 barangays in northern Metro Cebu.
Visayan Electric apologized for the emergency outage, which hit Mandaue City, Consolacion, and Liloan, disrupting traffic lights and businesses along several major roads.
Visayan Electric and grid officials fully restored power by 1:33 p.m. after 28 minutes, advising the public to remain cautious near ongoing line repairs.
A sudden outage hit northern Metro Cebu on Tuesday afternoon, May 19, 2026, leaving at least 46 barangays without electricity. The emergency power interruption happened after a major transmission line connecting Leyte and Cebu tripped, according to utility provider Visayan Electric.
The blackout began at exactly 1:05 p.m. It happened when the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) triggered its System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS). This automatic safety system cuts power to protect the grid when there is a major problem, causing immediate outages across portions of northern Metro Cebu.
Visayan Electric quickly issued an advisory to explain the situation to frustrated consumers, confirming that the root cause was a transmission issue along the Leyte–Cebu line.
“We apologize for the inconvenience brought by this emergency power outage, which is beyond our control. Rest assured that our line maintenance team is doing its best to restore power as soon as possible,” Visayan Electric said.
The power cut hit families, businesses, and commuters across Mandaue City and the towns of Consolacion and Liloan.
Some of the specific neighborhoods that lost electricity included:
Canduman
Cabancalan
Casuntingan
Maguikay
Mantuyong
Nangka
Pagsabungan
Tayud
Yati
The outage also turned off traffic lights and darkened businesses along several major busy roads. Commuters and drivers experienced disruptions along M.C. Briones Avenue, A.C. Cortes Avenue, Cebu North Road, and the Central Nautical Highway.
Fortunately, the power outage did not last long. The utility provider worked quickly with grid officials to fix the issue and stabilize the system. Power was fully restored at 1:33 p.m. after about 28 minutes.
Even though the lights are back on, Visayan Electric reminded the public to stay safe. They advised residents and drivers to exercise caution near areas where crews are still performing line repairs and maintenance, especially around personnel working with heavy equipment and live wires.