- At 111 years old, Visayan Electric Company (VECO) continues to provide power to every home and establishment while raising the level of service it renders to its customers
- Its track record as a distribution utility is recognized by Meralco, which visited its offices to learn from its best practices
Established on Feb. 5, 1905 by four American old-timers and local residents who pooled their financial resources and know-how, VECO has now grown to be the second largest electric utility in the Philippines. The company has surpassed the destruction brought by World War II and survived the Japanese and American occupations.
Today, VECO’s franchise covers an area with an estimated population of 1.73 million. It serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga and the towns of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando. It utilizes various state-of-the-art technologies in its operations to improve its efficiency and service. It uses the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system to monitor and control its electric distribution assets via remote control. It also employs GIS (Geographic Information System) to map and manage its facilities.
To mark its 111th founding anniversary, VECO gave away tokens to the first 111 customer in its SM, Consolacion and Talisay VECO Offices. VECO’s COO Anton Mari Perdices led the blowing of the candle in a simple ceremony held last February 25, 2016.
The VECO name has been built for so many years and it is of great value today. As we commemorate the birth of this company, we would also like to pay tribute to our team members who served our customers to the best of their abilities as we continuously strive to provide the most efficient service available.
— Jill Verallo, Reputation Enhancement Department Head, VECO
Meralco learns best practices from VECO
Representatives from Manila Electric Company (Meralco) flew in from Manila to Cebu to know more about VECO’s implementation of the Nationwide Intensification of Household Electrification (NIHE) program. VECO is the first private distribution utility to successfully roll out this program, which is being led by the Department of Energy. NIHE targets 90% household electrification by 2017.
Through NIHE, the rural electrification process will be completed by providing the metering set-up of each individual household. Normally, a standard metering set-up costs PHP 3,750. DOE has granted PHP 38.1 million for this program and is expected to run for a period of three years with a target of 600,000 unconnected households. VECO’s contribution to this national target is 10,160.
“We want to learn the experience from VECO and how to effectively implement it,” said Chito Zagala, Meralco’s AVP for Market Operations and Utility Economics Specialist.
Eric Ching, VECO Community Relations Department manager and one of the proponents of the company’s NIHE process flow implementation, narrated VECO’s experience. He emphasized the importance of close coordination with the local government units to identify areas and households that do not have electric connection as well as the preparation and signing of formal agreements with the target beneficiaries.
“This year, 160 houses have already been identified. These are all located in barangay Lusaran and Bacayan, upland barangays in Cebu City. VECO is targeting 5,000 more households for 2017 and 2018. With this initiative, we will light up more sitios to empower their communities and improve their quality of life,” Ching said.