Over 197k Meralco users still without power amid Uwan impact

Over 197,000 customers of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) remain affected by power service interruptions as of Monday morning due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-Wong), most of them in Cavite and Bulacan.

According to Meralco, a total of 197,133 customers were affected as of 10 a.m. on Monday, November 10.

The largest share was recorded in Cavite with 75,885 affected customers, followed by Bulacan with 34,815; Quezon with 26,283; Metro Manila with 23,267; Rizal with 19,203; Laguna with 11,473; and Batangas with 6,206 customers.

“The damages were predominantly due to damaged distribution facilities (poles, lines) caused by strong winds and heavy rains across Meralco’s service areas,” the power distributor said in an advisory.

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 Batangas, Laguna, Pampanga, and Quezon.

In a virtual briefing, Meralco spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said about 10,000 customers remain affected by flooding, making restoration difficult as the company prioritizes the safety of both its personnel and customers.

“Hindi ho namin puwedeng ibalik agad ‘yan hangga’t mapanganib. Dalawa ang tinitiyak namin — ang safety ng customers at ng aming line personnel,” he said.

(We cannot immediately restore power while conditions are unsafe. We are ensuring the safety of both customers and line personnel.)

“We’re looking at completing restoration in the next two days. Based on historical data, in cases like this with around 197,000 affected, it usually takes about two days, three days at most,” he added.

Aside from flooding, Zaldarriaga said their teams are also dealing with fallen debris and tree branches on power lines, toppled poles, and affected transformers.

“Out of more than 8 million customers, 197,133 is roughly less than 1%. It’s about one-fourth of 1%, which means more than 8 million customers still have power,” he said.

“Rest assured, tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho ng Meralco, 24/7 kami,” he added.

Uwan weakened into a typhoon early Monday morning, but Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 remains in effect over eight areas in Luzon, with lower signals raised in several others.

The state weather bureau PAGASA has also warned of life-threatening storm surges over 3 meters high in low-lying or exposed coastal communities in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, CALABARZON, most of MIMAROPA, Aklan, and Antique.—MCG, GMA Integrated News