Power in Bohol back 27 hours after Leyte quake

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Bohol managed to restore power supply within 27 hours on its own after the shutdown of the geothermal plant of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) in Leyte, when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Leyte Thursday afternoon.

Power supply in Tagbilaran City within the service area of Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) resumed at around 7 p.m. the following day, July 7, and went on for two hours at a time in the first round rationing. From 10 p.m., power supply in the city went on uninterrupted, except Poblacion 1 and Poblacion 2, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. the following day.

Other parts of Bohol also got power through Boheco I. Power distribution had been on rationing until 11:30 p.m. of July 8 when all BLCI feeders have been energized already. As of 11 p.m. of July 8, Bohol Electric Cooperative (BOHECO I) service areas — Panglao, Loay, Maribojoc, and Tubigon —started receiving power supply generated from Janopol Hydroelectric Power Plant and Sevilla Mini Hydro of Boheco I.

Alarmed on the length of time that Bohol will have to suffer from total power shutdown, Governor Edgar Chatto, who is in Canada for an international conference, called the members of the Bohol Energy Development Advisory Group (BEDAG) to convene right then.

When Salcon Power Corp. and Bohol Diesel Power Plant became operational again, they were also able to jumpstart Boheco I, needed to run its hydro-power plants, even on a rationing basis.

Third District Rep. Arthur Yap and First District Rep. Rene Relampagos contacted the Energy Regulatory Commission, which in turn gave the go signal for the BDPP in Dampas to operate so the BLCI can implement power supply rationing.

For his part, 2nd District Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado was invited to an emergency meeting with SPC officials and BLCI Bohol Light Co. Inc. president Dennis Villareal in the evening of July 7 to discuss the power crisis situation in Bohol. (FREEMAN)