Rotational brownouts continue to affect residents in EB Magalona, Manapla, and Victorias City due to a breakdown of the 15 MVA power transformer at the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO) Victorias substation.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, October 15, plunged 30,000 households into darkness. While 90 percent of the power has been restored, some areas remain without electricity.
In light of the current power interruption, NONECO is also offering free charging services at the nearest NONECO Offices of the affected consumers. NONECO encourage consumers to bring their mobile devices, power banks, and other essential electronics for charging during this period.
To address the power shortage, NONECO has implemented several measures, including tapping additional power from other sources and installing a new transformer. However, the full restoration of power is expected to take two weeks.
Local officials have expressed frustration with the ongoing power outages, citing their negative impact on businesses and residents. They have called on NONECO to take immediate action to prevent future disruptions.
NONECO manager Wilbe Bilbao said they tapped two megawatts of power from the Negros Electric and Power Corp. for EB Magalona and two megawatts from a substation in Manapla for Victorias.
A 10 MVA power transformer was being installed at the Victorias substation, borrowed from the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative, he added.
As of 7:09 PM last night, the testing and degasification of the 10 MVA power transformer was still ongoing.
The transformer that failed this week was the same one that NONECO previously borrowed from Bacolod City’s former power distributor Central Negros Electric Cooperative during previous power outages.
