The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) restored power transmission services to several provinces in Mindanao on Monday, hours after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Sarangani and triggered tsunami warnings across parts of the region.
The quake struck at 7:37 a.m. about 32 kilometers southwest of Maasim, Sarangani, prompting the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to issue tsunami warnings for several coastal provinces.
NGCP said transmission services in Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental were restored by 8:20 a.m. However, transmission lines in parts of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sarangani, South Cotabato, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat remained affected.
Despite the disruption, the grid operator assured the public that transmission services in the Northeastern, Northwestern, North Central and Lanao areas remained stable.
The Department of Energy (DOE) said it had activated its Task Force on Energy Resiliency following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to conduct a rapid assessment of energy infrastructure in affected areas.
The task force is consolidating reports on the condition of power lines, substations, distribution facilities, fuel depots, retail stations and other critical energy facilities to determine the extent of any damage.
The DOE said continuous monitoring is being carried out to ensure the uninterrupted supply of electricity and petroleum products during rescue and relief operations.
“The Department remains in close coordination with local energy stakeholders to facilitate rapid response measures should damage to energy infrastructure be confirmed,” the agency said.