Customers urged to join Meralco load-shedding program

Customers are still urged to join the Interruptible Load Program (ILP) of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to help manage the higher electricity demand.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Atty. Cynthia Alabanza, spokesperson for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), said the agency and Meralco are encouraging customers who own generators to use them temporarily to reduce electricity consumption from the NGCP grid and allow more supply for those who do not have generators.

"Mayroon sistemang ganyan ang Meralco at ang NGCP, pero mas maraming nakakabit sa Meralco kasi mas marami po silang consumer-level na customers," she explained.

Alabanza also explained in detail the difference between yellow and red alert levels. She said that the agency monitors not by provinces, but by grid- Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

For example, if Luzon announces a yellow alert, it means that the power supply in Luzon is still enough to meet consumer demand.

However, the reserve power required by the NGCP to improve the stability of the power flow and prevent flickering or unstable electricity reaching consumers is lacking.

Under the regulations, they are required to maintain a 4% power reserve based on consumption.

A red alert, on the other hand, means that a power outage or brownout is already imminent.

"Kunyari ang konsumo ng tao is 100, mayroon dapat nakasobrang 4% na 100 na yung NGCP para balanse niya at hndi siguraduhin ang pagpasok ng kuryente. So kapag yellow alert, buo pa ang 100 pero kulang yung 4% ng NGCP, so kapag nangyari po na mayroong planta na biglang tumirik at maubos yung pasobra na 4%, maaaring magpower interruption na tayo. Kapag nangyari po yun magiging red alert."