Classes suspended in Iloilo City due to power outage, effect on students' health

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has announced a city-wide suspension of classes citing low power supply and that outages may affect the health of the students.

In a Facebook post, Treñas said the suspension of classes was based on the advice of the City Health Office.

“The prolonged power outage exposes our children and students to the effects of heat and humidity which may lead to heat-related illness exacerbated by lack of adequate sleep or general feeling of drowsiness; and possible exhaustion from travel or commute,” he said.

“Returning to school may further result to unfavorable classroom conditions given that some have no electricity and will not promote positive learning environment,” he added.

There is a reported massive power outage on Panay Island due to a multiple tripping of power plants.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said it monitored the tripping of Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 1 at 12:06 p.m. on Tuesday, January 2, due to an “internal issue.”

The PEDC Unit 2, Palm Concepcion Power Corporation (PCPC), and other plants then tripped at 2:19 p.m.

NGCP said the cause of the multiple tripping was unknown.

Mayor Treñas posted that, "Given the developments and expected risks involved in the return of students to their respective schools, per the advise of our City Health Office, we hereby order the suspension of classes in all levels, both public and private, pending the return of power in Iloilo City." 

In a separate post, he said "We are only 50% with power. My own house is under rotational brownout . The electric distribution company has prioritized the hospitals. With only 50% power, not all schools are included. We cannot allow our students in these schools to be affected."

The NGCP said Wednesday that the primary cause of the power interruption was the unscheduled maintenance shutdowns of the largest power plants in Panay Island.

Aside from the tripping of three of the largest power generating units and the planned maintenance shutdown of PEDC Unit 3, NGCP said the maintenance shutdowns and deration of plants outside the Department of Energy's (DOE) approved Grid Operating and Maintenance Program also contributed to the lack of power supply. — BAP, GMA Integrated News