Customers affected by interruptions due to Kristine down to 360,000 —Meralco

From over half-a-million affected during the peak of the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, the number of customers experiencing power service interruptions were down to more than 300,000 as of Friday afternoon, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said.

In an advisory, Meralco said that its crew and personnel are working “non-stop” to restore electricity service in the remaining areas affected by Kristine.

With this, the power distributor said that “customers affected by service interruptions are down to around 360,000, coming from around 566,000 peak number of customers last night.”

Meralco said the majority of affected areas are in parts of Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas.

The rest of affected areas are in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, and Quezon.

“Following last night’s strong winds and torrential rains, we would like to ask for our customers’ patience and understanding as we have to follow protocols and prioritize their safety, especially in flooded areas,” said Meralco vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga.

“Our crews are tirelessly working to restore services to most of the affected customers by the end of the day,” said Zaldarriaga.

Meralco said its social development arm, One Meralco Foundation, has prepared relief packs and solar lamps for distribution to families severely affected by the storm.

To report power outages and other concerns, the power distributor said customers may reach Meralco through its official social media pages on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). 

“They may also text their concerns to 0920- 9716211 and 0917-5516211 or contact the Meralco Hotline at 16211 and 8631-1111,” it said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News