Capitol, VECO to electrify remote areas

CEBU - The Province of Cebu and the Visayan Electric Company have agreed to join hands and provide electricity to residents of far-flung barangays.

This was discussed during the visit of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and some Capitol department heads to the VECO office at SM City last Wednesday.

VECO chief operating officer Jimmy Aboitiz said they are willing to coordinate with the province to provide power to far-flung barangays within its franchise area. 

Aboitiz, however, admitted that VECO faces budgetary constraints as some of these areas need at least P15 million to be energized but have only five houses and the consumption is too small.

Garcia told Aboitiz of the arrangement that Capitol has with the Cebu Electric Cooperative and the Korean Electric Power Corp.

Under the agreement, Kepco provides the materials needed for the project such as conductors, insulators, transformers and other hardware while the province takes care of other materials and works necessary for the completion of the project, such as electric poles. Cebeco will provide the labor component.

Capitol officials accompanied the governor during her visit so they can see how VECO employees transact business with clients.

Just recently, a memorandum of agreement was entered into by the province, VECO, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Filipino-Chinese Chamber, the Cebu Business Club and other stakeholders to address the looming power shortage.

The top industrial customers of VECO such as the Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino and Elizabeth Mall signed an interruptible load agreement.

They are willing to be de-loaded fully or partially at any time deemed necessary by VECO in order to help mitigate a power shortage. They will use instead their own electric generators to generate power.— Garry B. Lao/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)