Meralco assures power supply
By Myrna M. Velasco – March 31, 2020, 10:00 PM
from Manila Bulletin
Power utility giant Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has set out another round of assurance that Filipinos will not be plagued with interrupted electricity service in the remaining two-week enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or lockdown in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.
The company noted that even prior to the declaration of the ECQ by Malacañang, it already readied its business continuity plan (BCP); and that it has “taken all precautions to preserve the safety and health of its employees while sustaining continuous operations” at its franchise area.
The power utility firm is catering to the electricity needs of more than 6.9 million customers at its service areas in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Quezon provinces.
Meralco President Ray C. Espinosa said “all hands are on deck to ensure Meralco runs like clockwork,” with him stressing that the company is “going beyond the power and light we deliver,” as the company also moves in parallel with government and the entire country in helping curb the pandemic.
Prior to the enforcement of the Manila lockdown on March 15, the power firm had heeded the directive of the Department of Energy to postpone all scheduled maintenance works – unless these are highly necessary to keep the lights on at specified areas.
Uninterrupted electricity is one basic service necessity that most Filipinos can lean on at this time – when most of them are locked up in their homes so they could help in the government’s goal to restrain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) malady in the country.
“Aside from crucial maintenance activities, which affected only a small number of customers for a short period of time, there has been
He said Meralco is implementing its BCP and emergency measures “to distribute power round-the-clock, especially to crucial installations, such as hospitals.”
And while performing its function of guaranteed supply of electricity for consumers, he noted that the company is also heedful of the Department of Health’s directive on the health and safety of its employees.
“Our customers can be rest assured that safety is also of paramount concern to us and we will continue to cooperate with the government in ensuring that we will provide the best level of service expected from us,” Aperocho stated.
close to zero interruptions experience in the franchise area as a whole,” the utility firm said.
As emphasized by Engineer Ronnie L. Aperocho, senior vice president and head of networks of the company, “during these challenging times, Meralco remains always ready and will continue working with the energy sector so as to ensure that electric power services remain uninterrupted.”
