With the onset of the rainy season in the Philippines, Filipinos are once again advised to be on alert and take precautionary measures against floods and rain-induced landslides.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), there is high chance that the La Niña phenomenon, which is commonly linked with above-normal rainfall, will begin in the last quarter of the year or around September — a bit delayed than the earlier forecast of July — and could last until the first quarter of 2025.

Tropical cyclones also usually form in the country’s waters during the rainy season, with around 70 percent developing from July through October according to PAGASA. On average, around 20 tropical storms enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year, with around eight to nine crossing the country.

With the prevailing climate conditions, various organizations and industries have ramped up preparations for the rainy season including the Manila Electric Company (Meralco)—the country’s largest distribution utility.

Upgrading and maintenance activities

Meralco has accelerated its upgrading and maintenance activities to strengthen and improve the resiliency of its electrical facilities to manage the impact storms that could hit the country throughout the rainy season.

Just recently, Meralco conducted proactive maintenance activities in the cities of Pasay and Marikina as part of its efforts to reinforce the resiliency and reliability of its distribution network.

Meralco crews conducted load-splitting operations and inspected its facilities in Hidalgo Street, Pasay City to enhance the service quality and reliability in the area. In the same operation, Meralco also replaced dilapidated wires that caused wire sparking. Low hanging cables were also corrected to prevent illegal connections and to ensure public safety. Meanwhile, in Marikina City, Meralco upgraded transformers in SSS Village, Concepcion II to improve the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the power system.

“With the start of the rainy season, Meralco crews remain hard at work 24/7 to further strengthen our distribution system’s resiliency against possible severe weather disturbances and to actively contribute to the promotion of public safety,” Meralco First Vice President and Head of Networks Froilan J. Savet said.

“Meralco has been proactively conducting various maintenance activities across our franchise area to continuously improve the quality and reliability of our electricity service,” he added.

Anti-urban blight campaign