535,000 Meralco consumers experience power interruptions

October 24, 2024 | 10:11am

MANILA, Philippines — Around 535,000 Meralco customers are experiencing power interruptions due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine’s onslaught. 

In a statement on Thursday, Meralco said that they are working to restore power to the affected households. 

“As of 8:00 am today, around 535,000 customers are affected by service interruptions — mostly in the provinces of Cavite and Laguna. There are also some in parts of Rizal, Quezon, Batangas, while the rest are in Metro Manila and Bulacan,” it said. 

Meralco also advised their customers to take the following precautions to avoid power hazards: 

• Switch off the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker when necessary. Customers should make sure they are dry when they do this. 
• Using rubber gloves, remove mud or dirt from main circuit breaker 
• Unplug appliances and turn off permanently connected equipment if possible 
• Ensure that all electrical wires and facilities are dry 
• Customers are advised to have their electrical wiring checked by a licensed electrician after the storm. 
• Do not turn on electrical appliances that have been in the flood

“Rest assured that we are closely monitoring the situation and our crews are working non-stop to restore service as soon as possible. We urge everyone to prioritize safety and take necessary precautions during this time,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.

In Pagasa’s 8:00 am cyclone bulletin, Kristine is currently hovering over the Cordillera Administrative Region. 

Kristine is forecast to traverse Northern Luzon for the next 12 hours and will exit through the Ilocos Region in the afternoon. 

Tropical cyclone wind signal warnings are currently hoisted across the country.