The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it has restored electricity to more than 99 percent of its customers in its service areas as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23.
The power company said they were still restoring power to 2,790 customers or less than 1 percent of Meralco’s total clientele, as of Wednesday afternoon.
The company said flooding has caused ongoing power interruptions for these customers mostly in Cavite, Metro Manila and Bulacan.
Meralco said it has remained on heightened alert for Tropical Storm Dante and Tropical Depression Emong, and the enhanced southwest monsoon, which will bring rains across its franchise area.
“As we near completion of our restoration activities, we would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding and assure them that we will continue to closely monitor the weather situation and respond to electricity-related incidents, while prioritizing safety,” Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications, said.
“We also join the Department of Energy in relentlessly reminding the public to prioritize safety by strictly following electrical safety protocols, especially in communities impacted by floods,” he added.
On the other hand, the Department of Energy (DOE) said it directed the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to closely monitor and validate the status of electric cooperatives (ECs) in affected areas.
The agency has not provided specific figures on ECs’ power restoration efforts.
The DOE also requested the assistance of the Toll Regulatory Board to ensure that tollways accommodate the unhampered transport of fuel tankers delivering products from Subic and Bataan to Metro Manila via the tollways such as the North Luzon Expressway.
The agency said this support will assure uninterrupted fuel delivery for aviation operations and other essential sectors and mitigate delays in aviation fuel delivery to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other critical sites.
