Southern Leyte welcomes Christmas with candlelit dinners 

Residents of Southern Leyte province celebrate Christmas with candlelit dinners as power went out at 10:58 p.m. on Tuesday, December 24. | Contributed Photo / Rina Arnaiz

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte — Most families here welcomed Christmas with lighted candles as power went out in the entire province at 10:58 p.m. of Tuesday, December 24.

The power interruption angered residents as they were either savoring their Christmas feast or preparing to gather around the table for their family dinners.

Power was only restored around 7 a.m. on Christmas Day, December 25. 

In a Facebook advisory posted at 11:35 p.m, the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Soleco) said the entire province experienced a power blackout a few hours before Christmas due to a “tripped-off” of transmission lines of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). 

Soleco said NGCP’s 138KV transmission lines from the Ormoc substation to the Maasin substation were tripped off. 

Two minutes later, at 11:37 p.m.,Soleco posted that the blackout covers the entire Eastern Visayas region. 

The electric cooperative said the “power blackout is due to temporary shutdown of NGCP Ormoc Power Plant to deter major damage due to TD (tropical depression) Ursula.”

The blackout covered the franchise areas of Leyte  V Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Leyeco V), Leyte IV Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Leyeco IV) and Bohol Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Boheco). 

These electric distribution utility firms covers Ormoc City in Leyte, Southern Leyte and Bohol. 

In the post, Soleco said that repair and restoration is being taken care of by NGCP. 

“Soleco only monitors load status and coordinates with NGCP. Praying for fast restoration and safety to all,” Soleco said in the post. / celr