The problems caused by a Brownout - heart breaking news

Brownout is a common local term for a power outage on the national grid in the Philippines of course we would call it a Blackout.

 

Yesterday Saturday 25th April 2009 the power tripped out at 8 Oclock in the morning for local maintenance that of clearing the wires by chopping back tree growth. This was a planed event in my area of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Dumagete City and the power was planned to trip back on when the tree pruning finish some time after midday.

 

But Sods law took over and a hour and a half later an on line disturbance caused the main power plant (power station on the island of Leyte) the source of power to  the islands of Panay, Guimaras, Cebu, Negros, Bohol, Siquijor, Leyte, Samar and Biliran to tripout.

Sources at the NGCP’s regional control center said the 230kV Marshalling to Tabango Line 2 tripped at 9:38 a.m. while Line 1 was shut down upon the request of the EDC plant in Leyte for metering equipment maintenance work.

But it was made worse for the citizens and business of Dumuguete City (City of the gentle people), Sods law can be so cruel.

At 6 p.m. yesterday, power was fully restored in Cebu, Leyte, Samar and Bohol; the Negros provinces, 65 percent, and Panay Island, 40 percent. Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental still had no power as of presstime because its Amlan substation had a problem on its transformer, according to the Energy Development Corp. (EDC) – Today’s Philippine Star newspaper

 Just after 11 O’clock this morning power was restored to Dumaguete City and of course Sods law insisted that the area I live in was the longest off line 27 hours without electricity.  It was not the problem of no entertainment no hot water, or electric power to cook that was the main annoyance but the food, fish and meat in the refrigerator and freezer. Ruined especially due to the tropical heat.  Its easy for me to replace as I can afford it but what about the low paid Filipino’s and its four days or so to their pay day.

 

Most of the big food related establishments have their own generators, some of the smaller business would have had ruined food, a big loss to profits. 

 

I feel sorry to other long term tourist like myself that homelands are normally in colder climates that had to sleep last night without aircon or fans. Having been living here for 9 years I am well acclimatized and know a trick to stay cool.  Dipping a sheet or towel in cold water, then wringing out, to use as a cover when sleeping.  I slept well last night accept being woke up two times by my true love of whom did not believe or wanted to try my solution.     

     

Then of course there was the sad tragedies of accidents:

 

“The region-wide blackout caused heavy traffic congestion in Cebu City’s major intersections and led to several road accidents.

There were 17 vehicular accidents responded to by traffic investigators as of 3 p.m. yesterday and these happened because some of the drivers ignored the signs of traffic enforcers manning the intersections, radio operator Rosario Torres of the City Traffic Operations Management said.

Torres said the road accidents took place in different areas in the city’s north district, particularly in the downtown area and other major intersections along Gorordo and Gen. Maxilom avenues.”

Full report Philippine Star

Of course it will be sometime later today that any drinks will be ice cool and I am not stocking the freezer box till I am more confident that the power problem has been completely sorted out and Sods law and experience says I may be right to be untrusting.

 

I am going to invest in my own generator, it seems the right time to do so.