BLACKOUT HITS MINDANAO; SYSTEM FAILURE EYED
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, December 14, 2004 (STAR) By John Paul Jubelag - Fear gripped Mindanao yesterday after a power outage hit the entire region, a day after a bomb attack in this city killed at least 15 people and wounded scores of others.South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani province, SOCSARGEN and the rest of Mindanao experienced several hours of blackout, according to energy officials.
Belinda Canlas, corporate affairs officer of the National Transmission Corp. based here, said the power interruption began at about 3:50 p.m. when the Iligan 138-KV transmission line of the National Power Corp. (NPC) tripped.
The cause of the tripping has yet to be determined.
"We have yet to receive any information as to the cause of the shutdown… (all we know is that the) power system collapsed owing to line trouble," Canlas said.
The Iligan Lugait-Abaga and Abaga-Northern Mindanao Power Corp. 138 KV transmission line is situated in Iligan City, she said.
The NPC’s 69-KV tie-line and Abaga-Tagoloan 138-KV transmission lines also tripped, she added. Other affected major lines were Agus 2,4 and 5 and power barges 117 and 118.
Less than an hour after the power blackout in the Abaga areas, Canlas said electricity was restored after its transformers were restored to normal, simultaneously activating all feeders.
In the SOCSARGEN areas, the Southern Philippines Power Corp. based in Alabel, Sarangani was switched on to "an island-mode" operation at about 8 p.m.
"Because of the independent power supply given by the SPPC to the system, feeders covered by the South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative and the South Cotabato I electric Cooperative based in Gensan and Koronadal City, respectively, have started to have electricity," Canlas explained.
The power blackout comes on the heels of renewed fears of terrorist attacks in the troubled south after a bomb exploded in a crowded public market here Sunday afternoon.
The attack sent the Armed Forces on heightened alert nationwide as police investigated the incident.
Military intelligence sources said members of the regional Jemaah Islamiyah terror group were behind the bombing in preparation for at least eight more attacks in Davao City and other key cities in Mindanao.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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