With Typhoon Tino forecast to hit the Visayas, the Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA) has called on the province’s power distributors to demonstrate stronger disaster preparedness and prevent a repeat of the widespread power crisis that followed Typhoon Odette in 2021.
In a statement, CERA urged Visayan Electric and the Cebu Electric Cooperatives I, II, and III (CEBECO I, CEBECO II, CEBECO III) to reinforce critical infrastructure and ensure faster restoration protocols, particularly for essential circuits supplying hospitals, water facilities, and communication hubs.
‘Knowing our geography and proneness to natural disasters, Cebu will be severely affected if our power infrastructure is not well reinforced to handle the harsh weather,’ said Nathaniel Chua, CERA convenor.
‘Effective recovery depends on readiness, investment, and accountability,’ Chua added.
CERA recalled how Odette exposed major vulnerabilities in Cebu’s power grid, with VECO’s urban systems collapsing and rural areas under CEBECO I and III enduring prolonged blackouts that lasted weeks. CEBECO II, by contrast, managed a faster restoration.
Push for Long-Term Resilience
While CERA said it continues to monitor the utilities’ response plans, the group emphasized that resilience must go beyond short-term repairs. It is urging both VECO and the CEBECOs to pursue long-term grid modernization, including underground cabling in critical urban zones, stronger coordination with local government units, and more transparent communication with consumers during outages.
Beyond infrastructure, the group is pressing for closer collaboration between utilities, local authorities, and national agencies to build a unified disaster response system.
‘There should be a complete re-evaluation of performance and lessons learned after every major natural disaster Cebu has experienced,’ Chua said. ‘Being ready is not just about reacting to negative outcomes-it’s about using past data to identify weaknesses and improve systems for the safety and welfare of our communities.’
CERA’s appeal underscores growing public scrutiny of Cebu’s energy resilience amid increasingly frequent and intense weather events. As Typhoon Tino advances, the group said accountability and preparedness-not just recovery-will determine whether Cebu avoids another prolonged power crisis.