At Visayan Electric, delivering reliable electricity is always a top priority. However, interruptions can sometimes happen. Some are planned or scheduled, while others occur unexpectedly. Knowing how these two classifications differ helps customers understand what’s happening and why they are necessary to maintain a safe service.
Customers can help prevent outages by reporting hazards like leaning trees, low-hanging lines, or unsafe activities near electrical infrastructure. During interruptions, it’s important to switch off appliances to avoid risks when power is restored.
Supervisor for Emergency 24/7 Operations, Raymart Abellanosa, explains it best, “Ang kalahian sa scheduled ug emergency power interruption sama ra sa ligid sa sakyanan. Kung mukalit ug kaflat samtang nagbyahe, emergency na. Kung magplano ta daan nga ilisan ang ligid aron malikayan ang problema, sama ra pud sa scheduled interruption.”
(The difference between scheduled and emergency power interruptions is like a vehicle’s tire. If a tire suddenly blows out while you’re driving, that’s an emergency. But if you plan ahead to change the tire to avoid any issues, it’s like a scheduled interruption.)
Why Interruptions Happen
Scheduled power interruptions are planned activities that involve upgrading lines or installing new equipment that help prevent unexpected outages. Visayan Electric keeps the public informed about these outages at least three days in advance through Facebook, email, newspapers, and the mobile app.
“For scheduled, mostly ani gina-upgrade nato atong mga linya aron malikayan ang mga posibilidad nga maputol,” says Raymart. Scheduled works are done as efficiently as possible, usually completed within eight hours to minimize inconvenience.
(For scheduled interruptions, we mostly upgrade our lines to prevent potential outages.)
Emergency interruptions, on the other hand, occur without warning. “Kasagaran tungod aning mga kahoy nga maigo kay duol sa atong mga linya, mga langgam, mga bitin, o usahay tungod sa human error—sama sa sakyanan nga madasmagan ang poste o mga tabanog nga masangit sa linya,” Raymart adds. Visayan Electric immediately dispatches response teams in such events to assess and restore power, but the duration depends on the severity of the problem.
(Most of the time, this is caused by trees hitting our lines, birds, snakes, or sometimes human error—like a vehicle crashing into a pole or debris getting caught in the lines.)
How Restoration Works
When outages happen, Visayan Electric wastes no time. There are system operators who continuously monitor the entire franchise and promptly deploy emergency crews on affected sites. “Kung makakita ug abnormalidad sa among linya, amo dayon ni paadtuan ug emergency crew para musubay ug mahibaw-an ang hinungdan,” Raymart explains.
(If we detect any abnormalities in our lines, we immediately send an emergency crew to inspect and identify the cause.)
Several factors can affect the response time, such as traffic congestion and weather conditions. To minimize delays, Visayan Electric strategically deploys motorcycle crews to reach affected areas faster.
How Customers Can Help
Customers can help prevent outages by reporting hazards like leaning trees, low-hanging lines, or unsafe activities near electrical infrastructure. During interruptions, it’s important to switch off appliances to avoid risks when power is restored.
As a fellow consumer, Raymart reminds everyone to stay patient and cooperative. “Isip usa ka customer pud sa Visayan Electric, importante jud sa akoa ang power sa among panimalay. Maong if naay mga power interruption, gitaasan nako akong pasensya kay kahibaw ko nga naay mga lineman nga naningkamot nga mabalik dayun ang power sa atong tagsa-tagsa ka panimalay,” he shares.
(As a customer of Visayan Electric, having power in our home is very important to me. That’s why, when there are power interruptions, I try to be patient because I know there are linemen working hard to restore power to each household.)
Visayan Electric remains committed to providing reliable service and continuously improving operations. For updates on power interruptions and service announcements, follow Visayan Electric’s official Facebook page.
For other concerns, you can reach them through:
- Calling their 24/7 hotline at (032) 230-8326
- Emailing [email protected]
- Submitting a request at www.visayanelectric.com
