12-hr blackout hits Leyte, Samar

CEBU, Philippines - Tacloban City, nearby towns and some parts of Samar Island will experience a 12-hour power shutdown today (Saturday) due to ongoing rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged electric towers and power lines. according to a PNA report yesterday.

In an advisory issued Thursday, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said the transfer of wires from temporary to permanent towers, work on the 138-kV Ormoc-Babatngon lines and various synchronized maintenance works will also affect some areas of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar provinces.

“The temporary structures were installed to replace towers damaged by typhoon Yolanda on November 2013,” the NGCP said in its advisory.

Tacloban and nearby towns of Palo and Babatngon, which are under the franchise area of the Leyte Electric Cooperative 2 will experience the 5 a.m.-5 p.m. blackout.

Leyeco II supplies power to 56,000 homes and businesses in Tacloban and nearby towns.  — From the wires