MANILA: Tropical Storm Kristine has caused significant disruptions to the power grid in the Philippines, taking down six 69-kilovolt transmission lines in the Visayas and Luzon regions. The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) reported the outages as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, affecting multiple electric cooperatives and thousands of consumers.
According to Philippines News Agency, five of the affected transmission lines are located in the Visayas region. These include the Paranas-Quinapondan 69kV Line, impacting the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative’s franchise areas, and the Maasin-Baybay 69kV Line, affecting the Leyte IV Electric Cooperative. The Ormoc-San Isidro 69kV Line has disrupted services for Leyeco III, Leyeco V, Biliran Electric Cooperative, and the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative. Additionally, the Calbayog-Bliss and Calbayog-Allen 69kV Lines have left consumers in Samar and Northern Samar Electric Cooperative areas without power. In Luzon, the Pitogo-Mulanay 69kV Line outage is imp
acting the Quezon Electric Cooperative.
The NGCP has mobilized line crews to inspect the damage and assess the impact of the tropical storm on its facilities. Simultaneous restoration efforts are underway in accessible areas, although a target date for full restoration is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has assured readiness to address electricity service issues stemming from Kristine. Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco’s vice president and head of corporate communications, stated that crews are on standby around the clock to respond to any electricity concerns. The company is closely monitoring areas under storm signal and urges the public to adhere to safety measures when using electrical devices, particularly in flood-prone areas.
Meralco customers can report power interruptions via the company’s social media channels, text, or by calling the Meralco Hotline.