Power utility giant Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will expand the coverage of its ‘no service disconnection’ policy to at least three provinces during the state-mandated modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) in these areas.
In a statement to the media, the utility firm said the other areas that will not suffer service-disconnections throughout the stringent quarantine period from August 6-15 will be Cavite, Rizal and Lucena in Quezon province.
“In light of the government’s announcement on Thursday night that placed Cavite, Rizal and Lucena under MECQ, Meralco will suspend disconnection activities in these areas,” the power firm stated.
That will be a follow-through to the earlier ‘no disconnection’ announcement for Metro Manila, which will stay from August 6 to 20 on enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), the strictest form of lockdown in the capital because of the resurgence of cases triggered by the Delta variant.
The utility firm continued to remind customers though that those under general community quarantine (GCQ) classification are not covered with the ‘no disconnection” policy, albeit, it apprised them that “Meralco will continue to be very considerate during this period and vowed to assist customers with their concerns.”
It similarly reiterated that it will carry on with the other facets of its service provision and business operations – including those on meter reading as well as bill delivery in compliance to an order issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Meralco noted that despite the reimposition of ECQ in the National Capital Region and some provinces, it will have to make sure that its customers will only pay bills that are drawn from their actual electricity consumption.
Under the guidelines laid down by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, businesses and service providers in the energy sector “shall be allowed to operate with an on-site skeleton force during the ECQ; and full on-site capacity during MECQ.”
Provision of energy services, especially in the power sector, will be very crucial because most Filipinos will be staying at home; and electricity will also be a very vital commodity for hospitals and health facilities treating patients; as well as in the continuing Covid-19 inoculation program in various parts of the country.