CEBU CITY – Darkness gripped most part of Cebu island and its neighboring areas after a massive blackout struck shortly before midnight Friday.
Power went out at 11:56 p.m. and it almost took at least six hours before all affected areas were reenergized.
According to Maria Rosette Martinez, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Lead Specialist of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines – Visayas (NGCP -Visayas), the unscheduled power interruption affected parts of Cebu, Leyte, Samar and Bohol.
“Initial finding points a lightning strike caused the simultaneous tripping of the Colon-Cebu 138kV Lines 1, 2 and 3 and Colon-Quiot 138kV Line, which triggered the partial system blackout,” Martinez said.
Gradual restoration of power transmission services to affected customers of NGCP started in Cebu at 12:52 a.m.
The last feeder energized in Leyte-Samar was at 5:46 a.m. and in Bohol at 5:48 a.m., Martinez added.
Visayan Electric said the unscheduled power affected its franchise areas in Cebu except some parts in Minglanilla town, City of Naga and San Fernando town.
Quennie Sanchez-Bronce, Visayan Electric’s Reputation Enhancement Manager, said the limited power supply affected the NGCP-controlled Visayas grid.
In case of limited power supply, power distribution utilities such as Visayas Electric would usually prioritize feeders serving critical infrastructures such as hospitals, key government institutions and services.
At the height of the blackout, some reports circulated online that Kepco SPC Power Corporation’s facility in Naga caught fire that caused the massive power outage.
“Not true and is fake news,” a portion of Kepco’s statement read.