536 sites energized in Meralco franchise area
By Jordeene B. Lagare – July 26, 2021
from The Manila Times
The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) made another major stride in its P1.1-billion electrification program.
The power distributor reported it was able to energize 536 priority sites in June from only 492 priority sites in May.
“Some 19,332 households are now enjoying the benefits of efficient and reliable electricity as of June 2021,” it added.
Meralco earlier said it earmarked P1.1 billion to provide uninterrupted power supply within its franchise area under the Meralco Electrification Program (MEP), with the bulk allocated for the southern part of its coverage area.
“Our commitment to provide electric service to our unserved and underserved customers through our Meralco Electrification Program projects is on track. We have also identified and are energizing the remaining households to fully energize our entire franchise area,” Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesperson and vice president for corporate communications, said.
“The imposition of community quarantines was indeed a challenge but this did not stop us from ensuring our commitment to continuously provide adequate, stable and reliable power to all our customers, especially that electricity plays a very crucial role amid the country’s ongoing vaccination program,” he added.
Meralco’s electrification program was a response to the Department of Energy‘s 2019 directive for all distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to attain 100-percent household electrification by 2022.
To totally electrify hard to reach places such as small islands, Meralco said it has taken the initiative to serve these areas using microgrid systems powered by renewable energy.
These systems use solar power backed up by batteries and diesel generators to ensure uninterrupted electric service.
Meralco is the largest power distributor in the Philippines, serving Metro Manila as well as nearby provinces of Bulacan Cavite and Rizal ang parts of Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon.
As of the first quarter of the year, Meralco’s customer count was at 7.2 million. Of the total, 92 percent comes from the residential sector, while 8 percent from commercial, and the rest from industrial.
Meralco shares fell 40 centavos or 0.15 percent to close at P269 apiece on Friday.
