POWER outages occurred in different areas of Iloilo City as a result of maintenance work conducted by More Power on an important transmission line that lasted 11 hours on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
The electric utility company recognized the inconvenience caused by the outage but stressed its significance in avoiding more widespread disruptions down the line.
The scheduled interruption, from 5 a.m. to 4:04 p.m., involved cleaning a 69kV line 5 sub-transmission line and replacing contaminated post insulators.
These insulators play a crucial role in preventing short circuits and brownouts by isolating the electrical current from the posts.
"This is the second phase of our replacement of the contaminated post insulators and then the cleaning or washing that we did for the defective insulators. So now, be patient. We ask for patience, very sorry to our customers. We know it's really hot today," said Engineer Bernard Bailey Del Castillo, vice president for Network Development and Operation Group of More Power.
Del Castillo said they have implemented preventive measures to fix, replace, and clean defective insulators to prevent future rain and ensure a smoother rain cycle.
"We ask for your understanding that we can finish this so that when a strong storm hits. And this coming June, we are confident that we can avoid unscheduled interruptions," Del Castillo said.
While acknowledging the inconvenience, More Power offered some relief measures to affected residents.
The company offered complimentary “cold” water from the fire trucks to affected barangays, affected by an 11-hour power interruption, specifically for essential household purposes such as bathing and washing.
Despite the lack of electricity, affected customers can still enjoy refreshing baths. This simple act of kindness is bringing joy to both children and adults, helping to alleviate the discomfort caused by the heat and power outage in their area.
However, challenges arose in delivering water to some areas due to narrow streets inaccessible to fire trucks, which typically serve as water tankers.
"We need water for our daily needs, but being here allows us to save money as water is provided for free. I hope it's not only at this time of power interruption. We would like to thank the BFP (Bureau of Fire and Protection) together with More Power employees," Sylvia Dellomes a resident of Don Esteban, Lapuz.
The Federation Iloilo Volunteer Fire Brigade and the Iloilo City BFP have been actively involved in providing water to the affected Barangay.
The barangays located in Iloilo City's Jaro District include Tabuc Suba, Cubay, Balabago, and Simon Ledesma. The barangay of Bolilao is located in the Mandurriao District. The barangay of Yulo Arroyo is located in the City Proper District. The barangays of Nabitasan, Rizal, and Laguda are located in the La Paz District. The barangays of Don Esteban, Lapuz Sur, and Loboc are located in the Lapuz District.
By 4:04 p.m., power had been successfully restored to all affected feeders currently running 56 minutes ahead of the projected timeline.
More Power's efforts to maintain the power grid infrastructure are crucial for long-term stability and reducing future outages despite temporary inconvenience caused by power interruptions. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)