Meralco has placed its emergency crews on heightened alert as heavy monsoon rains threaten to trigger flooding, damage electrical facilities and cause power interruptions in parts of its franchise area.
The Manila Electric Company said its personnel are ready to respond to electricity service concerns that may arise from the southwest monsoon, which continues to bring inclement weather over parts of Luzon.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation and our crews are ready to attend to any possible electricity service concern in areas that might be affected by the inclement weather,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.
Meralco said precautionary measures are already in place to reduce the impact of severe weather and help ensure public safety.
Among these is the continued appeal to billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll up their billboards to prevent large structures from being toppled by strong winds and potentially damaging power lines and other electrical facilities.
“Meralco has consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll up their billboards to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds,” Zaldarriaga said.
The utility also warned customers to exercise extreme caution in flooded areas, where submerged or damaged electrical equipment can pose serious risks.
Residents are advised to stay away from downed power lines and electrical facilities, particularly those exposed to or submerged in floodwater. Customers should also switch off their main circuit breaker when flooding threatens their homes and make sure their hands and feet are dry before touching any electrical equipment.
Appliances and permanently connected devices should be unplugged or switched off, while outlets, wiring and other electrical equipment exposed to floodwater must be completely cleaned and dried before being used again.
Meralco stressed that flood-damaged appliances and wiring systems should be inspected by a licensed electrician before electricity is restored.
The company also advised customers to keep mobile phones, laptops, radios and other communication devices fully charged so they can receive weather and service updates in the event of a power interruption.
Customers may report outages and other electricity-related concerns through Meralco’s official Facebook page and X account @meralco.
They may also send a text message to 0920-9716211 or 0917-5516211, or call the Meralco Hotline at 16211.
Meralco said it will continue closely monitoring weather conditions and deploy crews as necessary to restore electricity safely and as quickly as possible in affected areas.