(CNN Philippines) – Panay Island suffered an 11-hour blackout Sunday (April 19) as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) implemented maintenance works on major facilities in the island.
The blackout happened from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and affected parts of Iloilo, Antique, Capiz, and Aklan, including Boracay Island.
Michelle Visera, corporate communications and public affairs officer of NGCP-Western Visayas, said they shut down the following transmission lines and facilities for maintenance works:
138 kilo-volt (kV) Dingle-Panit-an line
138kV Panit-an-Nabas line
69kV Nabas-Sapian line
69kV Nabas-Avon line
The shutdown affected the full franchise areas of Iloilo III Electric Cooperative, Antique Electric Cooperative, Aklan Electric Cooperative, and Capiz Electric Cooperative.
Visera said the maintenance works are also part of preparations for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Boracay next month.
“We need to have stable transmission lines as we conduct our maintenance activities. This is to prepare our lines in time for the big event,” she said.
Visera also assured that there will be no power interruption on May 3, the day of the much-anticipated boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
“As of now we do not have scheduled power interruption on that day, unless something will happen. But as early as now we already supervise the stability of our transmission lines,” she added.
