5 power plants, 4 transmission lines still down due to Cebu quake

By Joann Villanueva, Philippine News Agency

POWER WOES. A lineman of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Wednesday (Oct. 1, 2025) works on the Daanbantayan, Cebu substation after it was affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the province the night before. As of 6 p.m., the transmission operator said five power plants remain offline and four transmission lines are still unavailable due to the impact of the earthquake. (Photo: National Grid Corporation of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – Only five of the 27 power plants affected by the magnitude 6.9 tremor that hit Cebu province Tuesday night remain unavailable as of 6 p.m. as restoration works continue on Wednesday.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) identified these as the Therma Visayas Inc. 1 and 2 in Toledo City, Cebu; Bohol Diesel Power Plant 3, Panay Diesel Power Plant 3, and unit 4 of the Power Barge 101 moored in Iloilo City, which have around 360.2MW capacity that is unavailable to the grid.

On the other hand, among the transmission lines that were affected, four remain on outage, and these are the  Daanbantayan-Tabango 230KV lines 1 and 2, Daanbantayan-Compostela 230KV lines 1 and 2, Tabango-Kananga 230KV line 2, and the Leyte-Luzon 350kV HVDC Line.

NGCP said “85 percent of the Leyte-Samar sub-grid has been restored.”

“Restoration of the remaining parts is ongoing. Power transmission services in the rest of the Visayas grid (Panay, Negros, Cebu, Bohol) are all under normal operations,” it added.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, in a statement, said all energy sector stakeholders have joined hands to hasten the power restoration efforts in Cebu and other areas affected by the earthquake in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

“Time is of the essence, and the Department of Energy, together with the entire energy sector, is working with unwavering urgency to restore power to every household, establishment, and community in the Visayas. We are fully committed to providing the necessary resources and support to help these communities recover and rebuild,” she said.

The Department of Energy (DOE), in a statement, said priority is given to vital establishments such as hospitals, water stations, and other lifeline facilities.

“Technical teams have been deployed to secure power supply for these establishments, while mobile generator sets are being ready to provide backup electricity for health centers, evacuation sites, and other essential community services as restoration works continue,” it said.