Meralco gears up for ‘Aghon’
MANILA, Philippines – The Manila Electric Company on Sunday said that its personnel are on alert for the possible impact of Tropical Storm Aghon (international name: Ewiniar).
It assured customers that Meralco’s personnel are ready to respond to power outages and electricity service concerns that could be caused by the tropical storm.
“As a 24–hour service company, we are ready to respond to these types of emergency. Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that may be hit by the storm,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
State weather bureau PAGASA in its 2 p.m. weather bulletin said that Aghon maintained its strength and is now over Mauban, Quezon.
It raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals No. 2 and 1 in several areas in Luzon, including Aurora and parts of CALABARZON, where it advised residents that winds could cause minor to moderate threat to life and property.
PAGASA also warned residents in the mountainous areas of flooding and rain-induced landslides due to heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, to mitigate the impact of the weather disturbance, Meralco said that it has issued advisories on appropriate precautionary measures and advised billboard owners of potential strong winds that could impact electrical facilities.
The electric firm said that billboards falling into electrical facilities are among the reasons for power outages.
“Meralco has consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll their billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds,” Zaldarriaga said.
The company also gave the public safety tips on using electrical devices and appliances in case of flooding.
- Ensure that the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off. Avoid contact with electrical appliances or electrical outlets when hands are wet.
- Unplug appliances from wall sockets. Turn off permanently connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible.
- Remove mud and dirt from service equipment or the main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes.
- Ensure that electrical wires, connectors, and other wiring devices are completely dry.
- When all electrical wires and accessories are dried and clean, ask a licensed electrician to check the wiring system. Do not turn on flood-damaged electrical appliances.
The customers were also advised to keep all channels of communications ready and charge communication gadgets.
Those who may experience power interruption were also advised to tune in to public service radio stations and report concerns to its official social media accounts and hotline 1622 and 8631-1111.
Meralco customers can also reach the company via 0920-9716211 and 0917-5516211. — Rosette Adel
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