CATBALOGAN, Philippines — Despite the terrifying 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Manay, Davao Oriental, on Friday morning, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has assured the public that power transmission in Mindanao remains stable.
According to NGCP, no major disruptions or damages to transmission lines have been reported in areas affected by the tremor. “The grid remains intact,” the NGCP confirmed in an official statement, adding that power services across Northeastern, North Central, and Southwestern Mindanao are continuing without interruption.
The earthquake, which hit at 9:43 a.m., was initially recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) as a 7.6 magnitude event before being revised to 7.4. With a depth of just 10 kilometers, the quake shook large parts of the region, including areas in Davao Oriental, but so far, no significant impact on power infrastructure has been noted in those areas.
However, the NGCP issued a separate update regarding Southeastern Mindanao, closer to the quake’s epicenter, confirming that several key transmission lines were temporarily offline. These include the Davao-Toril 69kV line, the Nabunturan-Asuncion 69kV line, and the Nabunturan-Masara 138kV line. These lines are crucial for supplying electricity to parts of Davao City and the provinces of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro.
“The affected lines are being assessed, but we are prioritizing a swift restoration,” NGCP added. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.”
While the earthquake caused widespread concern, NGCP’s early reports indicate that the core power transmission network in the region has remained resilient, with no widespread outages reported at this time. (rjb)