Transformer ‘failure’ results in blackout in Mabalacat
By Ian Ocampo Flora
MABALACAT -- The transformers of Pampanga Electric Cooperative (Pelco) 2’s new substation in Barangay Mabiga here failed on Thursday morning that resulted in an unexpected blackout all over this town. The power failure happened amid a stormy weather.
Pelco 2 officials said the new sub-station failed to deliver electricity due to “trigger alarms” in the transformers.
The cooperative’s general manager, Sulpicio Lagarde, said the problem was an unexpected. “This is just a hiccup on the usual performance of the transformers but we assure consumers that the problem would attend to promptly,” he said.
The power failure started past at 10 a.m. Thursday. Power was not restored in the town, particularly in Barangay Dau, this town’s commercial district, until press time at 2:30 p.m.
Lagarde said the transformers are still under warranty and that they are waiting for the warranty providers to fix the problem.
Residents of resettlement centers here earlier aired their complaints on the alleged increase in their electric bills. They blamed the new electric meters installed by the cooperative for the sudden increase power rates by at least 25 percent.
Consumers also criticized the cooperative for poor services and prolonged power outages. Local officials here have advised consumers not to pay their electric bills unless the meters are checked properly.
Lagarde stressed that consumers should not speculate on the power outage and that the trouble with the transformers “is purely technical.”
“If worse comes to worst we would be reactivating the old sub-station and probably bring back electricity before the day is over,” he said.
Residents, on the other hand, did not hide their discomfort over the un-announced power outage.
Lagarde added that the power outage has a great effect on the business district of Dau which plays host to a throng of stalls, necessity shops, schools and computer shops which depend mainly on electricity.
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