Meralco Restores Power to 77,000 Customers

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has restored power to about 77,000 of its customers, which is equivalent to 2 percent of its total number of customers on Sunday.

In its 4 p.m. update, Meralco said around 130,000 customers are still experiencing power outage due to its 11 circuits ‘either partially or completely out’ brought by typhoon ‘Lando’.

Earlier, the power distribution utility bared that about 207,000 of its customers has initially lost power as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

Meralco noted its worst-hit areas in its franchise include Cavite and Rizal. Bulacan was included in the list earlier but was removed in its latest update.

The power firm also said it is repairing its damaged facilities and targets to completely restore power on Sunday. However, Meralco said the restoration will depend on the volume of debris and the extent of damage to its distribution facilities, among others.

The distribution utility stressed “it is continuously assessing the extent of damage in its distribution facilities including poles, transformers, wires, and sub-transmission lines.”

Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga also urged the public to continuously observe safety measures in case of floods, such as turning off the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker and unplugging appliances from wall sockets.

The spokesman added the public should “keep all channels of communication open and ready.” This includes charging mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication gadgets.

”Customers may get in touch with its Call Center at 16211 and 631-1111 or visit Meralco’s website (www.meralco.com.ph), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/meralco) and Twitter account (@meralco) for updates. Posted on its Facebook page also are the numbers of the various Meralco Business Centers, which the customers may reach for their queries. They may also text their concerns to 0920-9716211 (Smart), 0917-5516211 (Globe), and 0925-7716211 (Sun),” it added. (PNA) BNB/JLD