Visayan Electric, having been Cebu’s partner in progress for 119 years, has remained steadfast in its commitment to uplift the lives of the people in the community it serves. Over the past several years, the company has engaged in various corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities targeting different sectors of society, including the environment, enterprise development, and education.
I see it as our responsibility to help the different sectors of our community, especially education.
Raul Lucero
Visayan Electric President and COO
In 2010, Visayan Electric launched one of its core projects — the School Rewiring Project. This project aims to upgrade and rewire the electrical systems of public elementary and high schools within the company’s franchise area, which includes the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, and Naga, as well as the municipalities of Minglanilla, San Fernando, Liloan, and Consolacion.
EMPOWERING EDUCATION: Students from Banilad Elementary School entering their newly rewired classrooms
With the growing number of students in Metro Cebu and nearby municipalities, the project evolved into a necessity, addressing the critical challenge of ensuring schools are safe from fire and electrical hazards.
In partnership with the Aboitiz Foundation and Vivant Foundation, 153 schools have already benefited from this project, totaling more than 96 million pesos in costs. This equates to more than 5,400 classrooms and facilities upgraded and rewired, making them safer for both students and teachers.
This year alone, Visayan Electric is slated to complete the rewiring of seven public schools, totaling 147 classrooms and facilities, within its franchise area.
In addition to the School Rewiring Project, Visayan Electric also participates annually in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Brigada Eskwela. Since 2011, the company has been DepEd’s partner in ensuring schools are safe and ready for the upcoming school year.
For this year’s Brigada Eskwela, 117 volunteers from Visayan Electric worked together to help make Lipata Central Elementary School in Minglanilla, Cebu safe and ready for the opening of classes. Some activities participated in by the volunteers included repainting school buildings, landscaping, and general cleaning. Visayan Electric also donated materials for repainting, school repairing, and other beautification initiatives.
Visayan Electric recognizes the important role that schools play in shaping the future of society, thus it is doing whatever it can to contribute to the education sector. The company believes that keeping schools safe requires a collective effort from both public and private entities, and it is therefore working closely with the Department of Education to achieve this goal.
“I see it as our responsibility to help the different sectors of our community, especially education,” said Visayan Electric President and COO Raul Lucero. “They say that it takes a village to raise a child, and Visayan Electric would like to be a part of that village,” he added.
Earlier this year, Visayan Electric was formally recognized by the Department of Education during its Partners’ Appreciation and Recognition Night for its contribution to making schools safer for children.
However, more than the recognition, it is the gratitude from the students and teachers that keeps Visayan Electric motivated to continue their projects and initiatives for many years to come.
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