Meralco assures continuous services during Holy Week

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has assured its customers of uninterrupted electricity services during the Holy Week.

In a statement, Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco’s spokesperson and vice president for corporate communications, has assured continuous services within Meralco’s franchise area.

“With the Holy Week break coinciding with the dry months, Meralco urged its customers to continue practicing energy efficiency to help manage their consumption, which historically increases by 10% to 40% during summer,” Meralco said in a media release on Wednesday.

Mr. Zaldarriaga said that it is important for consumers to practice energy efficiency to help manage consumption.

The power utility giant also said that its personnel will also be on standby to attend to electricity-related customer concerns.

“We are one with the nation in observing a solemn and safe Holy Week and we would like to assure our customers that Meralco personnel will remain on standby to respond to concerns and emergencies,” Mr. Zaldarriaga said.

On Monday, Meralco announced that it had secured an additional de-loading capacity under its interruptible load program (ILP) as part of its efforts in ensuring reliable electricity services on expected higher demand during the summer period.

ILP participants own power-generating facilities that they can tap when the electricity grid operator warns of deficient reserves, thus reducing overall demand from the grid.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose