Free house-wiring electrification project powers Cebu homes

Twenty-five-year-old mother Angel Mae Alfante of Barangay Lanas in Naga City, Cebu, knows all too well the difficulties of living without electricity, especially at night when caring for her four-year-old child. With this understanding, she conveyed her deep appreciation for a free house-wiring electrification project that reached their home.

“We’re so thankful we had our electricity connection installed for free. If it had not been free of charge, this wouldn’t have been possible because our income is just enough, if not less,” she said.

House wiring—requiring equipment like outlets, switches, insulation or electrical conduits, wires, circuit breakers, and the like, plus labor— typically costs around P12,000 to P13,000 if done privately. Fortunately, Angel is one of the very first beneficiaries of the Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (Visayan Electric) project, which launched in September to provide free professional house-wiring services to indigent households in its franchise area—those who need it but can’t afford it.

Cognizant of the transformative effect of having access to electricity, the AboitizPower distribution utility deployed accredited electricians to professionally install electrical systems and ensure safety and compliance with electrical codes. The project is seen as an investment in the long-term well-being and safety of families, considering how electrical issues remain the most common cause of fire in the Philippines.

A Visayan Electric survey identified 3,933 households as potential beneficiaries. Broken into phases, the first part will cover 2,013 homes in Naga City and 718 in the Municipality of San Fernando. Since many families also struggle with the high cost of requirements and securing permits, Visayan Electric also partnered with local governments and other public offices to assist these families.

“Many of the residents did not have their own electricity supply, especially those from Sitio Langsub. Although we’ve put up utility poles in the area, connection expenses are quite high, which kept them from having electricity—until now,” said Barangay Captain Emily Baricuatros. “We’re immensely grateful that our barangay was chosen as a beneficiary of this electrification program.”

The project is funded by an electrification fund—initially amounting P28-million—derived from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Regulations No. 1-94 (ER 1-94) program which allocates to the host community a financial benefit of P0.01/kWh (eventually, P0.03/kWh in 2026) of electricity sales for hosting energy-generating facilities and/or energy resources. In Naga City, the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) is one of the main contributors to the electrification fund, which was then remitted to Visayan Electric as the power distribution utility in the area to implement electrification projects, covering labor and material costs.

The March 2024 DOE monitoring data and the Philippine Statistics Authority’s household survey showed a “strong and progressive link” between electricity access and household income. With just 8 hours of electricity per day, income rises by 15.8% and spending by 14.8%. At 16 hours, income increases by 33.4% and spending by 32.7%. With full 24-hour access, income grows by 56.3% and spending rises by 59.4%. Access to consistent and reliable electricity does change lives and livelihoods for the better.

Visayan Electric’s free house-wiring electrification project is aligned with the Philippine national government’s push to energize the 3 million Filipino households that still live without electricity.

Apart from the free house-wiring project, Visayan Electric has long been implementing wiring projects like the replacement of electrical components in public schools. Since 2010, Visayan Electric has also been doing this project together with the Aboitiz Foundation to replace outdated electrical wiring systems in public schools within its franchise area. For over a decade, Visayan Electric’s own engineers have allocated at least two weekends every year to do the rewiring themselves, conforming with industry standards and significantly reducing the risk of fire hazards and electrocution accidents. Over 5,300 classrooms and school facilities have been fully rewired to modern standards.

In elementary schools, energized ones performed 12% better on the National Achievement Test than unenergized schools, according to a study from the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies. It was also found that secondary schools with electricity also performed 10% better than those without.

Visayan Electric is a distribution utility operated by AboitizPower, serving the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga, and the municipalities of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, and San Fernando. It is the second-largest privately owned distribution utility in the Philippines. As of end-2024, it has energized 100% of the barangays and electrified 99.37% of all households within its franchise area.

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Editor’s Note: This article was provided by Aboitiz Power Corporation.