'Basyang' topples billboards, snaps power lines in Metro

(Updated 9:52 a.m.) Tropical cyclone "Basyang" (Conson) plunged the nation's capital and nearby provinces into darkness as it cut off power to franchise areas of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco). Meralco, whose entire franchise area was affected, said owners were partly to blame for the blackout as they failed to roll up their billboards, which crashed on some power lines. "Lahat ng apektado na customer kumukuha sa Meralco ng kuryente (The affected included all of Meralco's customers)," Meralco's Teresa Adriano said on dzBB radio early Wednesday. Adriano said Meralco had already warned owners to roll down their billboards as early as Tuesday noon.
"Ayon sa monitoring, may billboards na bumagsak sa ating mga linya (According to our monitoring, some billboards fell on our power lines)," she said. "Dapat alam nila na pag bagyo i-roll ang billboard (They already knew to roll up their billboards when there is such a storm)," she added. She said the blackout started at 12:42 a.m. Meralco services the entire Metro Manila and parts of Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Bulacan. Adriano urged the public to call or text Meralco's hotlines at 16211 or 0917-5592824. The power outage forced the Metro Rail Transit and the Light Rail Transit to suspend operations early Wednesday. (See: Blackout strands MRT-LRT commuters) She said cut-off lines included those in North and South Luzon Expressways, NLEX exit at Monumento, and the service road at Baesa in Caloocan City. As of 4 a.m., she said some circuits were restored but these were in Calamba and Cabuyao in Laguna; and Trece Martires City in Cavite. There was still zero restoration in Metro Manila as of 4 a.m. as the lines of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines are still down, she admitted. She added that even if power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) were restored, Meralco still has to re-check its lines. Still a workday Wednesday Despite the power outage and damages caused by Basyang, work continued at some government offices Wednesday. Radio dzBB's Benjie Liwanag Jr. reported that as of Wednesday morning, government agencies did not issue an order to suspend work for the day. In Manila, Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered city employees to report for duty, but said those whose houses were flooded can be "excused." "Sinuswelduhan rin naman sila (They are getting their salaries so they should report for work)," Lim said in an interview on dwIZ radio. But at the Senate, the Office of the Senate President canceled work for Wednesday due to the floods and power outage caused by Basyang. Radio dwIZ reported the Office of the Senate President issued the announcement at 6 a.m. Earlier, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced it was leaving to college administrators the decision on whether to suspend classes. CHED Executive Director Julito Vitriolo, in an interview over dzBB radio, reminded school heads that although the Signal No. 2 suspension of classes applies only to high schools and lower-grade schools, they must take into consideration the dangers and difficulties of commuting through impassable streets and coping with power outages. [See: CHED advice to colleges: Suspend classes at your discretion] Man electrocuted in Marikina Despite the blackout in Metro Manila, a man was electrocuted when he touched a high-tension wire in Marikina City before dawn Wednesday. Radio dzBB reported the incident occurred at Calumpang Street in Barangay San Roque. The still-unidentified man suffered third-degree burns. Police said the man may have been drunk. — LBG, GMANews.TV