Power utility giant Manila Electric Company (Meralco) will be deploying at least 272 generator sets (gensets) as well as crews and contractors in strategic locations during the May 9 election period to immediately address power supply emergency situation at its service areas.
At this stage, the utility firm indicated that it had already undertaken site inspections and carried out warranted maintenance of its facilities to ensure they would be in tip-top condition when they provide service for this year’s critical polling exercise.
“To ensure that the electrical facilities in these sites will be in good condition in time for the elections, Meralco conducted inspections and maintenance of its distribution facilities,” the company announced.
Meralco assured that it is ready “to address any electricity-related problem that may occur in any of the over 2,900 polling and canvassing centers and vital election sites within its franchise area.”
The jurisdictions served by the country’s biggest power utility are those in Metro Manila, as well as the provinces of Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, some parts of Batangas and Quezon; then Bulacan which is a province north of Manila.
“Meralco crews and contractors, along with generator sets and floodlights, will be deployed in strategic locations across its franchise to immediately address any problem or electricity-related troubles,” the power firm stressed.
The company added it “continuously works with the government to ensure the delivery of stable and reliable electricity service, especially to the critical sites identified by the Commission on Elections.”
Ensuring uninterrupted electricity services during election period is a very crucial responsibility that industry players in the energy sector would have to guarantee since many of the election cheating-related incidents in the past had been partly attributed to brownouts.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has been engaging all stakeholders in the power industry to guarantee that their facilities are reliably functioning during the election period, including the critical areas that have wobbly power supply services – like the off-grid domains or areas not physically connected to the grid.
The energy department previously noted that in instances that rotational blackouts cannot be prevented, distribution utilities must ensure that feeders linked to the voting centers and vote canvassing areas will not experience electricity service disruption.