MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/27 January) — The entire city and the towns of Lantapan and Cabanglasan experienced power interruption from 6:38p.m to 11:45pm Tuesday.
Ten of Talakag town’s 29 barangays and another one in Valencia City, all under the Bukidnon Second Electric Cooperative (Buseco) were also in darkness.
In an advisory past 7pm, Buseco said the 69kV sub-transmission line from Maramag town to Brgy. Aglayan, Malaybalay tripped.
The power utility did not explain why the trip-off occurred, except to say they were still coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Elizabeth Ladaga, NGCP communications officer, however, told this reporter the transmission line is now owned and managed by the Bukidnon Sub-transmission Corporation (BSTC), a consortium composed of Buseco and First Bukidnon Electric Cooperative.
The line was turned over to BSTC in June 2015, she added.
BSTC general manager Nikki Tortola did not respond to text queries as of 8pm Tuesday.
Ladaga said in a text message around 1:40a.m. Wednesday that the line was fully re-energized at 11:45p.m. Tuesday after BSTC personnel finished replacing two insulators and cleaning two others.
Asked why Buseco said they had to coordinate with NGCP on the cause of the power interruption when the latter said BSTC should be asked about it:
“True, BSTC still has to coordinate with (NGCP) Maramag substation because the Maramag-Aglayan line (owned by BSTC) is connected with the substation and relays and breakers are inside the Maramag substation,” she explained.
The brownout occurred while midterm examinations were being held at Bukidnon State University forcing proctors and examinees to use mobile phone flashlights while waiting for generators to be turned on.
An administration official said the auto start mechanism of the generators did not function and it had to be manually operated.
Affected residents vented their ire on the unscheduled brownout on social media. (Walter I. Balane/Mindanews)
