The Department of Energy (DOE) assured there will be no power interruptions today, May 9, as all power generation plants are under normal operation.
Meanwhile, PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. said they are on full alert to ensure uninterrupted services during the elections.
Citing a situation report as of 7 p.m. on Saturday, the DOE said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has observed a sufficient level of supply and reserves in all three major island grids while the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines also sees normal operations of electricity spot markets.
The National Power Corp. recorded cases of power interruption in two off-grid areas, mainly due to illegal power connections but service has since been restored.
The National Electrification Administration said between 4 and 11 a.m. yesterday, 59 out of 106 electric cooperatives with reported issues have experienced power interruption for a total of 173 interruptions with an average duration of 45 minutes. All except for Negros Oriental 1 Electric Cooperative, had restored service.
In a statement, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communication Inc. said they have prepositioned personnel and mission-critical equipment to ensure uninterrupted service across the country ahead of the May 9 elections. Quick response teams are on standby, ready to be deployed in areas that might experience service issues.
PLDT and Smart are closely monitoring their assets to make sure they are operating at their optimum, especially on election day and in the crucial period of transmission of results from the vote counting machines (VCM) to the canvassing centers. – Jed Macapagal and Myla Iglesias
