Ad billboards must roll up temporarily, says Meralco

Power utility giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has called on owners and operators of advertising billboards to temporarily roll up or take down their materials in preparation for super typhoon “Mawar.”

Meralco said that with expected strong winds accompanying Mawar, huge billboards could cause brownouts or service interruptions when they are toppled and may possibly fall into power distribution lines and electrical facilities.

In many instances of calamityinduced power outages in the past, the sheer force of strong typhoon and heavy rainfall could knock down these high-mounted installations which have dotted various landscapes in Metro Manila and other areas of the country.

Meralco Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga said they have "consistently requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll their billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds.”

He expounded “billboards that fall into electrical facilities are among the main reasons for power outages whenever there are strong winds.”

On top of that precautionary measure, the Meralco executive assured that the company stands “ready to respond” to emergencies as well as call for help by customers on a 24-hour basis.

“Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that may be hit by the typhoon,” Zaldarriaga said.

He said that the company had already set up the “necessary measures to mitigate the possible impact of the super typhoon, including issuance of advisories on appropriate precautionary measures.”

Meralco advised consumers to observe safety and remedial measures in case of extreme weather condition hitting the country, like flooding.

For instance, consumers are reminded to "switch off the main electrical power or circuit breaker" and this must be "dry when being in contact with any electrical facility.”

End-users had likewise been apprised on the need to unplug appliances from wall sockets and, when warranted, turn off permanently connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible.

Other contingency measures include removing mud and dirt from service equipment or the main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubbersoled shoes.