Firm launches energy-saving program

IN ITS effort to reduce energy consumption, the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) recently launched “Konsumo Mo, Minusan Ko.”

The corporate community relations team of Veco led by Eric Ching introduced the program, which is described as a race to reduce energy consumption, during the second general assembly of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) in Cebu City held recently at the ABC office.

The activity was attended by 63 village chiefs, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, Cebu City councilors and former congressman Raul Del Mar.

Ching, who is Veco’s community relations manager, anticipated the possibility of reducing the energy consumption of consumers, particularly those who cannot afford to pay their bills on time.

The firm’s goal is to keep an eye on the rampant increase and high consumption of consumers in all barangays.

Ching said Veco will not make money from the campaign, but will only take the lead in helping the barangays reduce their energy consumption.

The project will look at the electric consumption from the past five years of all the barangays covered by the Veco franchise to get the statistical data, and determine their average electric usage in a year.

VECO will then provide the data to the barangays.

The pilot area of this project is Cebu City, but it hopes to cover the entire Veco franchise area.

The barangay with the lowest electric consumption, in a particular period, will be rewarded with a corporate social responsibility project such as infrastructure, multi-purpose building, rewiring and computerization, donation of bags and school supplies, and library kit.

Veco’s program was initiated in partnership with the Department of Education and local government units.

To avail of the program, barangay leaders are encouraged to coordinate with Veco and the ABC office.

The program complemented the “Aboitiz Race To Reduce,” a resource conservation program implemented within the Aboitiz group.

The program aims to heighten awareness and strengthen the consciousness of the different business units to better manage resource consumption, with focus on energy, water and paper.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on June 29, 2011.