Bacolod City and five neighboring localities experienced total loss of power as strong winds and continuous rains brought by Typhoon “Tino” battered Negros Occidental yesterday morning.

Figures of the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) showed that the outage within its franchise area has affected 250,059 consumers.

In a statement, Negros Power said that as of 10:41 a.m., all its transmission lines have tripped off, resulting in total loss of power in all feeders across the cities of Bacolod, Talisay, Silay, Bago, as well as in the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.

“Our line and technical crews are on standby and will begin restoration work once weather conditions improve and it is safe to proceed,” it added.

In an update released at 12:34 p.m., the Negros Power management said they cannot yet start the restoration activity as strong winds are still affecting Bacolod and the adjacent areas.

When already safe, accounting of the damage, such as the number of transformers, poles and wires needed to be replaced, will immediately start.

“We have enough supplies and teams to do the rehabilitation,” the Negros Power management said. “We are committed to ensuring safety, quick response, and reliable restoration for our consumers during Typhoon Tino.”

As part of its red alert status, Negros Power mobilized all field and command center personnel to respond quickly and activated mobile warehouses for logistics support.

These teams are fully equipped with motorcycles for quick response, four-wheel vehicles for response operations, and bucket trucks for line restoration.

Negros Power said that 24/7 customer hotlines remain open. (PNA)