The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) assures the public that it is working round the clock to immediately restore electricity service to customers affected by Typhoon Carina and the habagat rains.
Yesterday, July 24, more than 600,000 customers experienced service interruptions mostly in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal and Cavite. The rest are in portions of Laguna, Batangas, Quezon provinces.
As of 10:00 AM today, affected customers are down to around 330,000 customers. The outages are predominantly due to heavy flooding across Meralco’s service areas. Fallen trees and foreign objects obstructing power lines also caused power disruptions in several areas.
The intensified southwest monsoon triggered by Typhoon Carina has significantly impacted the Meralco franchise.
“We ask for your patience and understanding amid power disruptions caused by heavy floods caused by
Super Typhoon Carina and the intensified southwest monsoon. The safety of our customers and Meralco line crews is our top priority as we continue to actively monitor the situation,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.
“Rest assured, our crews will immediately be deployed to restore power in the affected areas once the floodwaters recede and everyone’s safety is assured,” he added.
Meanwhile, One Meralco Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Meralco, mobilized employee volunteers for immediate relief efforts and prepared thousands of relief packs that include rice, canned goods, coffee packs, and biscuits.
As of yesterday evening, thousands of relief packs were already turned over to the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office for distribution as emergency aid to affected families.
Meralco reiterates its call to the public to practice electrical safety measures as it provides with the following safety tips:
• Ensure that the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off. Be sure to be dry when being in contact with any electrical facility.
• Unplug appliances from wall sockets. Turn off permanently connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible.
• Remove mud and dirt from service equipment or main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes.
• Make sure that all electrical wires, connectors, and other wiring devices are completely dry.
• When all electrical wires and accessories have dried and are clean, the wiring system of all appliances must be checked by a licensed electrician. Do not turn on flood-damaged electrical appliances.
To report power outages and other concerns, customers may reach Meralco through its official social media pages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter (@meralco). They may also text their concerns to 0920- 9716211 and 0917-5516211 or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111.#