NGCP preps contingency measure for Dinagyang

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Measures to ensure the reliability of electricity in Iloilo City during the key activities of the Dinagyang Festival are in place, following the preventive maintenance measures of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Residents in several parts of the province and the city of Iloilo experienced a four-hour power interruption today, January 23, from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m.

The NGCP said that the scheduled power interruptions are due to corrective maintenance activities at the MERALCO Power Generation Corporation and Global Business Power Corporation (MGen-GBP) Lapaz 1 Substation.

“This is maintenance in preparation for the highlights of the Dinagyang Festival on January 27 and 28. This is a corrective maintenance approach of the NGCP to the customer-owned facility to ensure reliability in preparation for the festival,” NGCP Public Relations Department Lead Specialist Reaghan Alcantara told Daily Guardian on Monday.

The corrective maintenance affected MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power), MGen-GBP Lapaz 1 Substation, Iloilo Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO) I.

The specific affected areas or feeders of the distribution utility and electric cooperative include the Molo Substation, Mobile Feeder 1, and Megaworld Substation for MORE Power; the Lapaz 1 Substation; and the Pavia Substation of ILECO I.

MORE Power, in an advisory, said its consumers supplied by the Megaworld Substation can expect a total of one hour of power interruption from 1:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. and another from 4:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on the same day.

The interruption from 4:30 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. may be implemented earlier if the early completion of activities permits, the distribution utility added.

MORE Power said the supposed four-hour power disruption at the Megaworld Substation was reduced as the power supply will be temporarily sourced from the Sta. Barbara – Power Barge 69 kV Lines.

Aside from the MGen-GBP Lapaz 1 Substation, Alcantara said all other power facilities in the city are stable, and there are no technical directives yet from the central office for corrective measures in other substations.

“Since the facility is owned by the MGen-GBP, we just need to make sure that it is working well and reliable,” he added.

Alcantara added that the NGCP will strategically place personnel to ensure a swift and efficient response to any power-related issues that may arise.

“If ever there will be brownouts, our quick reaction teams will be immediately deployed for pre-positioning in strategic places. We are preparing all that we can under our mandate,” he said.