NGCP says power restoration ongoing, Meralco crews on standby in Aghon-affected areas

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said it has already started restoration activities in areas affected by tropical storm Aghon, with its crews currently monitoring and assessing its operations and facilities.

In an advisory Sunday afternoon, the NGCP said it has mobilized its line crews who are currently on patrol to inspect and assess the impact of Aghon on its operations and facilities, with the 69-kilovolt Pitogo-Mulanay transmission line unavailable, affecting the Quezon Electric Cooperative Inc. I.

It noted, however, that the 69-kilovolt Gumaca-Atimonan transmission line was energized after it was reported to have timed out at 3:51 a.m. on Sunday, May 26, and timed in at 7:22 a.m. the same day.

“Please note that this update pertains only to the status of the transmission network. Localized disturbances may be better addressed by your distribution utility. This also does not include lines exclusively serving directly connected industrial customers,” the NGCP said.

“Specific cities and municipalities affected by the unavailable transmission facility are determined by concerned distribution utilities, unless the outage affects the entire franchise area,” it added.

This comes as Aghon intensified into a storm earlier on Sunday, with Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2 — projected gale-force winds of up to 88 kilometers per hour —  hoisted over the northern and central portions of Quezon, including the Polillo Islands.

TCWS 1 — with strong winds expected to reach up to 61 kilometers per hour — was also raised in several areas including Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

For its part, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said its crews are prepared to respond should there be any power outages and electricity service concerns due to Aghon.

“As a 24-hour service company, we are ready to respond to these types of emergency. Our crews are on standby to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that may be hit by the storm,” vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said in a separate statement.

Zaldarriaga also urged the public to keep communication channels open and ready, and charge mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication gadgets.—RF, GMA Integrated News