ILOILO City – Distribution utilities (DUs) in Iloilo province are challenging the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to admit that a problem in its transmission system caused the massive unscheduled power interruption in Panay Island and Guimaras beginning April 27.
“NGCP must explain that. Be man enough to admit your fault, kon inyo gid man,” said Engr. Miguel A. Paguntalan Jr., general manager of Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) 1 in a joint press conference with Ileco 2 and 3 on April 29.
NGCP should own up to its lapses instead of confusing consumers, added Paguntalan.
He lamented that DUs are being blamed by consumers for the blackout.
“NGCP monitored a system disturbance at 1:50 p.m. that affected the Visayas grid. Initial findings show that a distribution utility-owned line tripped and caused power plants to disengage from the transmission system,” read part of NGCP’s statement via Facebook.
NGCP did not identify which power distribution utility owned the line.
Ileco III general manager Atty. James G. Balsomo said NGCP has to prove that the problem was with a DU as it alleged.
“Give us the data, ano ang basis sang NGCP nga nag-come up sila sang conclusion nga it is caused by distribution utilities?” said Balsomo.
Balsomo explained that power flows in “one-way traffic”, wherein electricity from generation plants that produce or generate flows through the transmission lines of the NGCP and to the DUs.
“Ang simple nga distribution utility kaya ya gali ipa-shutdown ang bilog nga Visayas grid involving several provinces and several cities and several distribution utilities in that matter? That’s why I ask NGCP, give us the data. Kon tuod ang inyo nga ginahambal, scientifically established, then kami nga distribution utilities would audit sa amon facilities to avoid the same occurrence in the future,” said Balsomo.
Engineer Jose Redmond Eric Roquios, general manager of Ileco 2, supported Paguntalan and Balsomo’s statements.
Roquios explained that once there is a fault in the DUs line, it is isolated by a breaker to protect the rest of the system.
“It happened many times before nga kon may fault or problem sa line of DUs, gina-isolate sang protection (breaker) ang amo na nga linya without affecting the whole systems. I think indi na valid reason nga mag-collapse ang whole transmission system sang NGCP diri sa Panay, including Iloilo City,” he said.
ELECTRIC COOPS ASK NGCP FOR MEASURES
A round table discussion between Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., electric cooperatives from the province, Iloilo City’s MORE Electric and Power Corporation, and the NGCP was already held twice in August 2022 and March 2023, according to Balsomo.
Defensor asked distribution utilities about their measures to ensure power reliability as part of the administration’s preparation for big economic investors.
During the round table, electric cooperatives raised that DUs are dependent on the transmitted power of NGCP and that their plan will be rendered useless if NGCP does not have a plan on its part to secure the power supplied to Panay Island.
With this, Balsomo said electric cooperatives suggested creating an alternate connection or looping transmission line from Panay Island going to the main grid in Luzon instead of connecting to the Negros Occidental sub-marine cable.
“We should have a looping, for example, connecting Panay Island to the main grid by another transmission line, another submarine cable, or maybe connecting Panay Island via Aklan to the main grid,” he said.
Even then, Balsomo said that everyone, including NGCP, was aware that once there was a “frequency disturbance” involving the Panay-Negros sub-marine cable, it would lead to a power shutdown in the entire Panay.
“This problem we have right now, [it will] definitely occur in the future, and even worse,” he added./PN
