A Negros Electric and Power Corp. official said heavy rain and wind that damaged aging power lines and polls they inherited from Central Negros Electric Cooperative triggered multiple power outages in their coverage area during the weekend.
Negros Power Chief Operations Officer Bailey del Castillo said the outages were also caused by heavy vegetation that hit wires and polls.
Residents took to social media to vent their anger over the numerous brownouts during the weekend as heavy rains triggered by the southwest monsoon and tropical storm Ferdie poured.
Negros Power’s distribution system covers Bacolod, Bago, Silay and Talisay cities, and the towns of Don Salvador Benedicto and Murcia.
Del Castillo said there were 150 whole block and close to 100 single houses hit with power outages on Saturday.
“It’s still happening today (Sunday) but there are less (power outages)”, del Castillo said.
The power distribution system of CENECO is very weak and vulnerable when the weather is bad because of poor maintenance of its aging wires and equipment for many years, he said.
Del Castillo said Negros Power was on its 46th day of operations on Sunday and is addressing the problem of recurring power outages in its coverage area with a P2.5 billion 5-year development plan that will upgrade its facilities.
In fact they have already started their upgrading work, he said.
He said the lengthy power outage in Silay and Talisay was caused by a damaged sub transmission line that passes through sugarcane fields making repair difficult.*