By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
PASIG CITY — The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Tuesday (July 22) assured the public that it is working vigorously to restore power service to its customers affected by southwest monsoon (Habagat) rains as it continues to monitor the weather situation.
“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 R. Zaldarriaga said.As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, there were about 167,000 customers affected by power outages mostly in Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Cavite.
The rest are in Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon.
Nearly 98% of the affected customers or more than 163,000 are located in flooded areas.
Meralco also reminded the public to undertake the following electrical safety measures especially when there is flooding:
–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.
Zaldarriaga also urged the public to keep all communication channels open and ready, and to charge mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication devices.
To report power outages and other concerns, Meralco may be reached through its official social media pages on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter (@meralco).
Customers may also text their concerns to 0920-9716211 and 0917-5516211 or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211. ###
