Brownouts hit Bacolod as power cables, transformers damaged by heat

Residents of Bacolod City experienced brownouts this weekend after power cables, transformers, insulators and fuses of electric posts were damaged by the hot weather.

The affected residents are customers of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO), according to a report by GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas reporter Adrian Prietos on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

Many electric posts sparked over the weekend, CENECO said.

"Maraming na-experience na nag-spark sa poste dahil epekto 'yan ng matinding init kung may loss connection. Dahil maraming load, nagki-create siya ng init hanggang mag-spark ang linya natin," CENECO Engineering Department manager Engr. Jose Taniongon said.

(There were spaks in many posts as a result of the intense heat when there is loss connection. Due to additional load, it creates heat until the line sparks.)

CENECO said they did not expect that the extreme heat would damage the power lines.

The company is hoping to fix the posts as soon as possible, as well as install new lines in accordance with a joint venture agreement (JVA) with Negros Electric Power Corporation.

"Ang P2 billion ang modernization ng CENECO is what we are expecting that this JVA (Joint Venture Agreement) will give us," Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez said.

(The P2 billion modernization program of CENECO is what we are expecting that this JVA will give us.)

Included in the JVA is the rehabilitation program of the distribution system of CENECO as part of its five-year modernization program. —KG, GMA Integrated News