Strong winds trigger 14-hour brownout in Cagayan, Apayao

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Villagers in Apayao province and the northern towns of Cagayan province endured a 14-hour brownout from Monday afternoon (April 24) to Tuesday morning (April 25) due to strong winds that toppled three electric posts, according to a belated report.

Wild gusts of wind pushed down the poles of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) in Amulung town, Cagayan province, during a heavy rainstorm, according to Lilibeth Gaydowen, NGCP North Luzon spokesperson.

“One of the poles was actually due for replacement on April 25, but repairs began earlier due to the mini-tornado,” she said.

Gaydowen said work crews re-energized the Tuguegarao-Magapit-Sta. Ana 69-kV line, which serves parts of the Cagayan Electric Cooperative (Cagelco) I and the entire Cagelco II franchise area which serves northern Cagayan and Apayao.

To spare Cagayan and Apayao, the NGCP reset a scheduled April 26 brownout on May 4. The power outage may last for 10 hours./lb