By Joann Villanueva | Philippine News Agency
Over 167,000 customers of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) were affected by power interruptions due to the onslaught of the southwest monsoon (habagat).
In a press release Tuesday, Meralco said around 101,676 of the affected customers are from Metro Manila, while about 43,180 are from Bulacan, 16,015 from Cavite, 6,391 from Rizal, 103 from Laguna, 15 from Batangas, and two from Quezon Province.
“We ask our customers for patience and understanding as heavy floods have triggered disruptions in power services. Rest assured that the safety of our customers and line crews is our top priority and we will immediately restore power in the affected areas once the floodwaters recede and it is safe to do so,” Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
For any power outage concerns, the power distributor urges customers to reach Meralco through its Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter (@meralco) pages, and call or message its hotline at 16211 or its other numbers, 0920-9716211 and 0917-5516211.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said all transmission lines remain in normal operation amidst the heavy downpour.
Also, Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan, in an interview during the Integrated State Media (ISM) special coverage over PTV, said transmission facilities are in normal condition amidst the continuous rains from the habagat that cause flooding, which affects power distribution.
He said the Department of Energy (DOE) cannot direct Meralco to immediately restore power if there are safety concerns, but is monitoring and guiding to hasten power restoration.
“Hindi naman natin ma-pwersa ang ating distribution utility para po magkaroon ng restoration dahil inuuna po natin ang safety,” he said.
Marasigan assured the public that the DOE, as part of the task force on energy resiliency, is closely monitoring the situation along with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), to ensure adequate supply not only of power but also fuel. (PNA)
