Meralco restoring power; affected customers at 1.9M from nearly 4M

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is gradually restoring electricity in areas affected by strong winds and heavy rains from Typhoon Ulysses as the weather situation slightly improves.

As of 10 a.m., Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said the number of customers without electricity stood at 2.5 million “an improvement from the 3.8 million which I earlier reported as of 5 a.m.” 

Meralco is slowly restoring electricity in areas affected by Typhoon #UlyssesPH. Number of affected customers down to at least 2.5 million as of 10 am from 3.8M as of 5 am. | via @Ted_Cordero pic.twitter.com/6EwC05mGnw

— GMA News (@gmanews) November 12, 2020

“As the weather improves, you will see the number of customers that will have electricity continue to increase by that time we will already be able to restore in areas we will be capable of restoring facilities,” Zaldarriaga said.

“We hope to provide some improvements as the days go by,” he said.

More areas get electricity back

As of 12 noon, the number of Meralco customers without electricity declined to 1.94 million.

As of 12 noon, the number of Meralco customers without electricity declined to 1.94 million from 2.5 million as of 10 am. | via @Ted_Cordero pic.twitter.com/eudXNOOZbI

— GMA News (@gmanews) November 12, 2020

Meralco began restoration efforts at around 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.

“Kailangan namin antayin na humupa ang baha bago kami makapagtrabaho hindi pwedeng mag-restore ng kuryente habang andun ang baha [dahil] lubha pong napakadelikado para sa aming mga line personnel at higit sa lahat sa aming mga customer,” Zaldarriaga said.

“Humihingi kami ng pang-unawa para ma-manage ang expectations ng mga customer,” he said.

Meralco cannot commit a definite time frame when it can fully restore electricity in affected areas since assessments are still ongoing.

However, Zaldarriaga said that the company will restore power “at the soonest possible time” as the weather permits.

“The primordial consideration is to restore power in areas where we will be able to provide electricity back,” he said.

“Sa mga binahang lugar medyo matatagalan ang pag-restore,” he said. —LBG, GMA News