Following nearly month-long monsoon rains, Manila Electric Company (Meralco) chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan personally led relief operations in his hometown Apalit, Pampanga —among the areas severely affected by the recent flooding and heavy rains — underscoring the distribution utility’s malasakit to the people especially in times of crises.

Last 13 September, Pangilinan led the MVP Tulong Kapatid group, of which One Meralco Foundation (OMF) is part of, in distributing relief packs to evacuees currently seeking shelter at the Jose Escaler Memorial School located in Barangay San Juan, where he grew up.

In a social media post, Pangilinan noted how he was “grateful to be able to listen to what our people needed.”

Also joining the relief operations are PLDT-Smart Foundation, Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc., Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Makati Medical Center Foundation.

Since the start of August, OMF has delivered aid to over 5,500 families affected by flooding and heavy rains in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga — and continues to sustain relief operations to help those in need.

Safety precautions

As it is still rainy season, Meralco continues to remind customers to take extra precautions to prevent electrical accidents, particularly when flooding occurs. Simple safety measures can help protect households from electric shock, fires and other hazards.

In the event of flooding, customers should first turn off the main power switch or circuit breaker, making sure their hands and feet are completely dry before touching any electrical equipment.

All appliances should be unplugged, while permanently connected devices should be switched off. Light bulbs may also be removed, if it is safe and possible to do so.

Once the floodwater has subsided, mud and debris should be cleared from electrical equipment using rubber gloves and rubber-soled shoes. However, customers should never attempt to handle or clean electrical equipment that remains wet or submerged. All electrical wires, outlets and devices must be thoroughly dried before they are used again.

For added safety, Meralco recommends having a licensed electrician inspect appliances and the home’s wiring system before restoring power. Flood-damaged electrical equipment should never be used, even if it appears to be working, as water exposure can cause hidden damage that may lead to electric shock or fire.

Back-to-back power rate cuts

Meanwhile, Meralco customers are set to benefit from back-to-back rate reductions as the utility announced another decrease of P0.0409 per kWh in the electricity rate this September, bringing down the overall rate for a typical household to P14.7424 this month from P14.7833 per kWh in August.

Last month, Meralco announced a P0.0428 per kWh decrease in electricity rates.

“We hope that this latest power rate reduction will somehow provide relief to our customers,” Meralco vice president and head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said. “Rest assured that Meralco remains committed to fulfilling its mandate of delivering reliable, stable and continuous electricity service at the least-cost possible to our customers.”

For residential customers of Meralco who are consuming 200 kWh, this latest decrease translates to a reduction of around P8 in the total electricity bill. Customers consuming 300 kWh, 400 kWh and 500 kWh will meanwhile see bigger reductions in their electricity bills equivalent to P12, P16 and P20 respectively.

This month’s overall rate reduction was mainly due to the decrease in ancillary service charges collected by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and lower taxes which more than offset the increase in the generation charge.

Meralco customers also continue to benefit from two simultaneous refunds — equivalent to a total of P1.0139 per kWh for residential customers — that are currently being implemented by Meralco.

Pass-through charges for generation, and transmission and ancillary service are paid by Meralco to the power suppliers and the NGCP, respectively; while taxes, universal charges, and other public policy charges are all remitted to the government and the relevant agencies.

Meralco’s actual distribution charge, on the other hand, has not moved for a typical residential customer since August 2022.