SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/24 June) — Most areas of Surigao del Norte and parts of Surigao del Sur will experience a 12-hour blackout from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, three power utilities servicing the two provinces announced.
As per advice from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the two local power distributors in Surigao del Norte and the one in Surigao del Sur said they will have no power on Sunday due to maintenance works on the transmission firm’s equipment.
Engr. Sergio Dagooc, general manager of Siargao Island Electric Cooperative (Siarelco) said the outage will affect them, as they are using the same transmission lines that will be fixed in mainland Surigao del Norte.
SIARELCO is servicing nine towns in the islands with a power demand of 3 megawatts.
Engr. Narcisco I. Caliao Jr., general manager of Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Surneco) said the outage will affect their whole franchise area.
Surneco is servicing Surigao City and 11 towns of Surigao del Norte.
“On Sunday we also have ride-on activities. These include the relocation of the electrical poles along the national highway which has been affected by road widening and other old electrical poles that have to be changed,” Caliao told MindaNews on Friday via text message.
Bambie Capulong, spokesperson of NGCP in Caraga said Surigao del Sur Electric Cooperative II, which is servicing the municipalities of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen and Lanuza will experience the blackout.
“NGCP shall exert all efforts to restore the line earlier or as scheduled,” Capulong said Friday. (Roel N. Catoto/MindaNews)