VECO urged: Stick to sked of rotational brownouts

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Council is urging the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) to strictly follow its published rotational power interruption schedules, saying unpredictable outages are disrupting household routines and business operations.

The council approved a resolution on Monday, September 14, urgently requesting VECO to adhere to its announced schedules and minimize the duration of power interruptions.

Councilor Jennifer del Mar, who sponsored the resolution, said residents arrange their daily activities based on the schedules released by the power distributor.

“Whatever is the announcement, mag-stick lang ta didto para wala bitaw mga plano nga maguba pod,” Del Mar said.

She said problems arise when an announced outage does not happen at the scheduled time but is implemented later, leaving consumers waiting and unsure when they should adjust their activities.

Del Mar said she had experienced waiting for an announced outage that did not happen as scheduled, forcing residents to repeatedly ask when the power would actually be cut.

“Imbis naay ta buhaton nga importante, dili nato mahabuhat kay tungod magbase ta didto sa mga scheduling nila nga gi-announce,” she said.

The disruption is also being felt by small businesses that rely on electricity to provide their services.

Jhuckilyn Igot, a laundry shop attendant in Mandaue City, said their operations stop whenever a power interruption occurs.

Igot said the outages delay the completion of customers’ laundry, meaning some customers cannot pick up their items at the expected time.

She also said the business has seen its income decline as some customers now choose the self-service or “do it yourself” option instead of paying for full-service laundry.

“Wala na nuon mi kita,” Igot said.

Igot said their operations are particularly affected because the shop does not have a generator.

“Maytag mahuman na ni ang brownout kay hasol kaayo ug among trabaho ma-delay gani,” she said.

Jay-r Apelacion, who works at a water-refilling station, said their operations are likewise affected because they cannot refill water containers during power interruptions.

At times, he said, the station has to turn away customers because they cannot provide the service.

Apelacion said a reliable outage schedule would allow them to prepare their operations and manage their customers.

“Para maka-prepare pod mi, kung mag-brownout ba,” he said.

He said turning away customers also means losing potential income for the business.

The council’s resolution noted that VECO implements rotational power interruptions because of generation capacity shortages in the Visayas Grid.

It also acknowledged that VECO releases predetermined schedules and hourly matrices to inform consumers of expected power interruptions. However, the council said consumers need predictable schedules to adjust their activities, including household tasks, business operations, food storage, and the use of backup power sources.

Del Mar said businesses, particularly manufacturers and establishments operating on fixed hours, can be significantly affected when the actual outage does not match the announced schedule.

“If the business nag-run siya og eight hours, unya mo-ingon sila nga mag-change ta og schedule kay mao ni ang brownout… Labi na og kaning mga manufacturers nato,” Del Mar said.

The resolution said failure to follow announced schedules or extending power interruptions beyond the declared periods without notice can result in disrupted workflows, financial losses, and other logistical problems.

Del Mar said the council understands the power supply situation but wants VECO to provide consumers with reliable information.

If changes to an announced schedule are necessary, she said consumers should be informed ahead of time so they can make the necessary adjustments. — (FREEMAN)