Visayan Electric Power Distribution

AboitizPower’s Visayan Electric helps illuminate lives through sitio electrification

July 16, 2024

Barangay Bairan in Naga City, Cebu used to be a community that was heavily reliant on lamparillas or kerosene lamps during the nighttime.

Neky Kanlom, 14, did her homework under the dim glow of the lamp, struggling to finish her tasks just before the light ran out. Consequently, despite her drive to excel and eventually become a teacher herself, it was mostly 7s which appeared on her report card.

Arnulfo Tiempo, 56, is a backyard hog grower who has lived in Bairan for 32 years. He was also constrained to using lamparillas to illuminate their humble home, as well as the pens where their livestock are kept. After dark, he had no choice but to stop work, worrying for the safety of his hogs and piglets — the sources of his livelihood.

Analou Obaob, 43, serves her community as a barangay health worker, diligently gathering health-related data and regularly visiting households, which, like her own, had no choice but to acquire the safety risks in using lamparillas. This was due to the absence of electricity, much less electric-powered alternatives.

It was difficult and unsafe to do anything at night without a reliable and consistent source of light. Once the sun set, Barangay Bairan was mostly enveloped in darkness.

The location of the barangay — remote and located high up in the hills — also meant that a trip to buy oil for the lamparillas involved traversing kilometers of rocky and dusty roads to and fro.

But after years of hardships, a long-awaited blessing descended upon their village last December: electrification finally reached Barangay Bairan.

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), through its electric power distribution utility, Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (Visayan Electric), has been at the forefront of this transformation, delivering electricity to remote and underserved communities like Barangay Bairan and similarly situated communities within its franchise area.

Visayan Electric is the second largest electric utility in the Philippines, serving the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga, and the municipalities of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, and San Fernando.

By helping implement the national government’s Sitio Electrification Program, which aims for 100% electrification in the Philippines, Visayan Electric connects far-flung areas to the power grid and contributes to economic development and poverty reduction.

In the grassroots, families can now extend their productive hours well into the night — tackling chores, homework, work tasks, and other responsibilities.

Today, Neky is neither frustrated nor disheartened to pursue her dreams of becoming a teacher. With proper lighting and resources for studying, Neky is able to obtain better grades, showing a particular interest in her Filipino and Araling Panlipunan subjects.

“I am very thankful to AboitizPower and Visayan Electric because we now have electricity at home,” Neky said. “I am really happy because I can now study properly, and I can answer my modules in the morning or even at night.”

“I’m very happy since she can now focus on her studies and have a big chance of making her dreams a reality,” her mom added.

Likewise, sitio electrification has been life-changing for Arnulfo, his family, and his business. With light in his hog pen, he can now see and work at night, being relieved and assured of his animals’ safety.

In her own home, Analou no longer has to put lamparillas inside a bucket to prevent accidents. With electric lights, she is able to do her tasks whenever she needs to and not just during the day. As life became simpler, Analou established a better routine; a balance between doing her work as a barangay health worker and being a loving mom to her three kids.

“I’m thankful to AboitizPower and Visayan Electric because we have electricity now. They were really able to help us. When the light arrived, we were able to better plan our daily lives,” she said.