As the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) kicks off its annual Safe Kite Flying Caravan this week, they remind barangay officials of their big role in implementing the law."We want to remind them of the role of the barangay in the upkeep of their community’s electricity supply. It is important that they report of any kites entangled in our wires so we can immediately remove it," Benje Retuertas, VECO’s Occupational Safety, Security, Health & Environment Department (OSSHED) head said.Kites usually end up getting tangled with VECO’s power lines and cause power trip-offs. Cases of electrocutions have also been reported.During the caravan, barangay personnel like tanods were reminded about the city’s Ordinance No. 1471 which prohibits the flying of kites in roads, streets and places near electrical structures.Apart from conducting a short briefing, posters and leaflets about the ordinance were also mounted and distributed in the areas.To help this campaign for safety, more than a hundred VECO personnel visited 10 barangays in Cebu City's south district early this week. Most of them are administrative staff, customer service representatives, engineering personnel and managers.They visited barangays Mambaling, Labangon, Tisa, Punta Princesa, Quiot Pardo, Bulacao Pardo, Inayawan Pardo, Duljo Fatima, Ermita and T. Padilla.These areas were earlier identified as those where kite flying is prevalent.

“The caravan is part of VECO's Safety Campaign. It is also one way of ensuring a safe and reliable supply of electricity for the May 9 elections,” Atty. Jill Verallo, VECO’s Reputation Enhancement head, explains.For the past years, VECO has also conducted these safety-education caravans in various other areas like schools.