‘Stable power supply during 2013 polls’

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is doing its best to ensure there will be no power interruption in the coming elections.

Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson, said yesterday a special task force has been formed to ensure stable and reliable power supply during the election period, particularly on May 13.

The task force will start its special operation this month and work 24 hours daily from May 10 to 17.

“The NGCP creates a task force every election season to guarantee uninterrupted power transmission... Part of the task force’s mandate is to secure the lines and substations from any threats to avoid unplanned outages,” said Alabanza in a statement.

However, Alabanza said, NGCP could only guarantee that there will be no transmission-related interruptions.

“Any power interruption caused by other factors, such as generation deficiencies or those pertaining to distribution utility operations, is beyond our control,” Alabanza said.

The Department of Energy also formed Power Task Force to secure the country’s power supply for the elections.

“NGCP’s task force is aligned with the Power Task Force. We shall be in constant coordination with them and with other agencies in the power industry, to ensure that we have a power interruption-free election this year,” Alabanza said.