MANILA, Philippines - Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes has ordered power distribution utilities, including Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), to immediately restore power in their respective franchise areas that had been hit hard by tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng.
Reyes also directed Meralco and the other distribution firms to report on the extent of power outages in their areas, and what measures are being done to remedy them.
Meralco said it has assured the DOE that it is doing everything it can to fully restore its power distribution service in isolated and still flooded portions of Taguig, Pasig, Cainta, Taytay, Marikina and Montalban.
Meralco said it has already restored a total of 683 power circuits in their coverage area ravaged by Ondoy. Meralco’s franchise area, which covers the entire Metro Manila and parts of Region IV-A (Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon) and Region III (Bulacan).
Reyes said power generation and distribution firms should regularly update the DOE on the measures they are undertaking to fully restore electric service in affected areas.
“This is also a precautionary and safety measure that we are undertaking before we restore electricity back to our customers’ homes. Many of the meters in the areas heavily hit by Ondoy were submerged in floodwaters,” Meralco told the DOE.
Meanwhile, the DOE said Pepeng has severely affected Region II, specifically Cagayan and Isabela on Oct. 3.
With the strong winds brought about by the typhoon, the DOE said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines was forced to shut down its 230-kv substations serving Cagayan electric cooperatives for safety reasons.
Likewise, Isabela Electric Cooperative II and the Cabagan substation and NGCP 2239-kv substation in Ilagan have to be shut down, affecting the municipalities of San Pablo, Sta. Maria, Tamauini, Sto. Tomas, Delfin Albano, Ilagan and Cabagan.
Based on the Oct. 4 reports of concerned electric cooperatives to the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the extent of the damage in the Cagayan area is still being assessed.
In Isabela, power in urban areas had been normalized and NGCP’s Ilagan substation has been re-energized. — Donnabelle Gatdula