P350M for VECO's community projects

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company Inc. (VECO), the country’s second biggest power distributor, continues to provide classroom buildings, furnitures, scholarship programs and rewiring programs, among others as part of its corporate social responsibility.

VECO manager for community relations Eric Ching said that the management has earmarked a total of P350 million for this year’s various projects in the community within their franchise area.

VECO’s Community Relations Department in their 2012 Accomplishment Report presented that since 2009 up to the present, the company was able to build 34 classroom buildings in 12 different schools namely Mabini Integrated School, Talisay City National High School, Paknaan Elementary School, Sangat Elementary School and Garing Elementary School.

The power distributor company was also able to rewire a total of 427 classrooms over the same period in the different schools.

“This is a program that can save a school from getting burned. It is expensive but it makes more sense,” said Basti Lacson, VECO’s chief operating officer.

Lacson stressed that their rewiring projects are done at no cost on the part of the school.

Ching added that principals in a public school normally writes them a letter request for rewiring then VECO will assess before they will start rewiring.

Ching said that there are several public schools whose electrical wirings are old already and this can be prone to fire due to overloading.

“Kasagaran sa atong mga public schools karaan ang mga building unya gagmay ang ilang wires. As time goes by, daghan na kaayong mga appliances ang nadungag unya nagbilin nga gagmay ang mga wires. Mao na nga among gipang-ilisan,” Ching explained. (Most of our public schools have old buildings with small wires and yet, a lot of appliances have been added over the years this is why we changed their wirings.)

VECO also rewired the Cebu Cathedral Museum and the headquarters of the Cebu City Police Office. It also donated over a thousand kiddie chairs, tables and armchairs to seven day care centers and four high schools.

It has also conducted three Brigada Eskwela activities in Greenhills Elementary School, Tayud Elementary School and Sta. Cruz Elementary School.

Currently, it supported 77 high school scholars and conducted Education Tour for 100 kids from San Fernando School and Naga Central Elementary School.

It has conducted Operation Tabang in eight different barangays for victims of calamities such as fire and floods. They also have a progarm called Primary Health and Child Care wherein they conducted Operation Tuli and dental missions as well as Earth Hour 2012 and tree planting activities.

At least 80 percent of the company’s budget for corporate social responsibility projects is earmarked for education. Other equally important CSR endeavors of VECO are for environment and community development.

For their upcoming events starting this month, VECO is set to conduct dental and medical missions in Mohon, Talisay City and Sitio Baka, Banilad, turnover of basketball and badminton court to CCPO, turnover of comfort rooms and washing area to Mabolo National High School, Bantay Linya Campaign and the Pasko sa Kabataan.  (FREEMAN)