Habagat hits power services of 167,000 Meralco customers

Some 167,000 customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) have been hit by power outages due to the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, most of whom are located in flooded areas, as the distribution utility works to restore services.

In an advisory, Meralco said most of the affected customers were in Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Cavite, with the rest in Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22. Nearly 98% or over 163,000 are located in flooded areas.

Meralco said 11,000 customers affected by power cuts as of 12 noon on Monday, July 21.

"We ask our customers for patience and understanding as heavy floods have triggered disruptions in power services," Meralco vice president Joe Zaldarriaga said.

"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," he added.

Meralco also called on the public to practice safety measures during floods—ensure that the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off; unplug appliances; remove mud and dirt from service equipment using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes; and ensure that all electrical wires, connectors, and other wiring devices are completely dry.

Meralco constructs, operates, and maintains electric distribution systems in the cities and municipalities of Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and Rizal, as well as certain areas in the provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, and Quezon.

The firm counts as subsidiaries and associates Vantage Energy Solutions and Management Inc. and MeridianX Inc., acting as retail electricity suppliers in Luzon and the Visayas.

State weather bureau PAGASA has issued a red rainfall warning for Metro Manila, Bataan, and parts of Cavite, indicating the possibility of serious flooding in flood-prone areas.

An orange rainfall warning was also raised over Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan and Cavite (Alfonso, Amadeo, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Indang, Magallanes, Maragondon, Mendez, Silang, Tagaytay, Ternate, Trece Martires, Carmona, Gen. Mariano Alvarez, Naic, Tanza).

A yellow rainfall warning was likewise raised on Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Quezon.

The Southwest Monsoon or Habagat is expected to continue to bring cloudy skies and rains over parts of the country. PAGASA is also monitoring two low pressure areas (LPAs) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, with one having a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours. — VDV, GMA Integrated News