Power utilities fast-track electricity service restoration

By Myrna Velasco October 19, 2015 (Manila Bulletin)

With the exit of typhoon “Lando,” the country’s power utilities are now concentrating efforts on fully restoring electricity service in various parts of the country that had been on the disaster’s path.

Within the franchise area of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the utility firm noted that as of 9:00am on Monday, its number of customers that were still without power had already been down to just 2,400.

That was from a high of 267,000 affected end-users at the height of the typhoon last Sunday (October 18).

For system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), it also advised stepping up efforts at bringing back its lines and facilities to service in the heavily- pummeled areas in Northern Luzon.

The affected provinces include Pangasinan, Cagayan and La Union, among others. Metro Manila and Central Luzon were also not spared.

At the distribution level specifically at Meralco’s service areas, it noted that “the worst hit areas include Cavite, Bulacan, Rizal and portions of Metro Manila such as Manila, Pasay, Quezon City, Paranaque, Malabon and Caloocan.”

It emphasized that “in terms of circuits, “around 35 were either partially or completely out at the height of the typhoon.”

As of press time, the utility firm noted that “the number had already been just down to 19, most of which are just circuits that are partially out.”

According to Meralco public information head Joe Zaldarriaga, the company’s “line personnel were continuously working so that we would be able to bring back power to the remaining affected customers at the soonest time possible.”

The target was to complete it yesterday (Monday).

He qualified though that “restoration time depends on several factors including the volume of debris that has to be cleared in affected areas, and the extent of damage to Meralco’s distribution facilities.”

Fast electricity service restoration is among the customer-satisfaction domain that the power utilities have been working on especially for a country that is often visited by typhoons.