By Alithea De Jesus
With many parts of Metro Manila and nearby provinces affected by a gust of strong wind and rain, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it is currently working to restore electricity service in its franchise areas badly affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.
As of 12 noon, November 12, Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesperson, said in a briefing that around 1.9 million of its customers are without electricity.
Meralco said affected areas include Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna, Quezon Province, Caloocan, Quezon City, Marikina, Muntinlupa, and Makati.
“Our line personnel have been dispatched and continue to assess the damage to our facilities. We are slowly restoring electricity service in these areas, particularly in areas with no impeding hazards like flooding,” said Zaldarriaga adding that it may take some time for its line personnel to restore electricity in heavily-flooded areas.
“We are currently restoring power in areas where we can bring power back, but in some flooded communities, there are customers that still have no electricity and we could only restore the power in areas that are deemed safe,” Zaldarriaga explained.
He added Meralco is currently working to restore electricity in main lines, lateral line, and other critical installations like hospitals and government agencies that are responding to Filipinos affected by Typhoon Ulysses.
“We would like to ask for everyone’s understanding and patience, as we also have to consider the safety of our personnel, equipment, and especially that of our customers. But rest assured, our crews will immediately work to restore electricity service as long as the conditions permit,” Zaldarriaga concluded.