About 98,000 Meralco customers remained without electricity as of 10 a.m. Sunday as the enhanced southwest monsoon triggered flooding and damaged power facilities in several areas.
Meralco said the affected customers account for about 1 percent of its total customer base. Most of the outages were reported in parts of Cavite, with other affected areas in Bulacan, Metro Manila, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal and Batangas.
The power distributor said its crews were working round-the-clock to restore service, but stressed that repairs would proceed only when conditions are safe.
“Our crews are working to restore power service to affected areas as soon as possible and once it is safe to do so,” Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said.
The company also urged customers to exercise caution as flooding raises the risk of electrical accidents.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and urge our customers to practice electrical safety,” Zaldarriaga said.
Meralco warned the public to stay away from downed power lines, damaged electrical facilities and electrical equipment that may have been submerged in floodwaters.
Customers were also urged to report hazardous electrical conditions to Meralco as crews continue restoration work.
The latest outages come as the enhanced southwest monsoon continues to dump rain across parts of Luzon, leaving communities dealing with flooding and disruptions to transport and other essential services.
