Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) replaced a bare jumper in front of the City Coliseum with an insulated one on Monday after it was determined to be the source of two power outages early morning last week in the poblacion circuit.
It also requested the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) to issue a cutting permit for a Talisay tree in the same location to keep its branches from striking the wires.
“Yong jumper, yan yong nagco-connect doon sa customer connection. Bare po yan, ginawa naming insulated in such a way na kung magdapuan ang mga ibon ay insulated na siya para hindi siya mag-short circuit,” PALECO acting general manager Engr. Federico Villar Jr. said Tuesday.
“Meron ng isang poste na napalitan namin — lahat ng mga jumper na connecting doon sa customer, papalitan namin [ng] insulated doon sa mga potential na dadapuan ng ibon doon sa location,” he added.
He said they have observed that birds start to sit on the electricity lines in the City Coliseum at 5:45 a.m. before leaving at 6 a.m. Replacing bare jumpers is one of their plans to prevent power outages.
The power outages that were recorded almost at the same time occurred on the mornings of March 25 and 26 in the poblacion circuit, affecting several barangays, including those covered by the PILTEL and Manalo reclosers.
“At least may naumpisahan na kami until such time… ewan ko kung paano yang mga migratory birds na yan ay mawala na dyan,” he said.
“Dalawa ang nangyari early morning na nag-occur at the same time. Yong isang Friday at isang Saturday earling morning. Agad-agad nagsagawa nag-imbestiga ako mismo kasama yong team ko. Ginawaan namin ng action din yesterday,” he added.
They also cut the Talisay tree after obtaining a permit from the CENRO.
The Talisay is only one of three trees that need to be removed or pruned to keep branches from contacting the power lines, according to Villar.
“Hindi lang para sa bird, but pati sa obstruction sa clearing. Magclo-close coordination kami ng CENRO para lahat ng i-identify namin na puno ay maputol namin para ma-reduce namin ang interruption of power due to fallen branches of trees over the line,” he said.
