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The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (Cera) urged broad, equity-focused reforms to Cebu’s power system, stressing the sharp disparity between Metro Cebu and the rest of the province.
While Cera praised the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) for its swift, well-coordinated repairs and clear updates in Metro Cebu, it stressed that this sharply contrasts with communities outside the city served by the Cebu Electric Cooperatives (Cebeco), where slow and uneven restoration has left thousands enduring days without water.
Cera convenor Nathaniel Chua warned of a growing imbalance in post-disaster recovery, noting how Cebu City regains power and water far faster than communities in Cebu Province. “We recognize that those in highly urbanized areas will be severely hampered if they are left without adequate water supply and power, but it does not mean that we should reduce the importance of our neighboring municipalities and other areas in the province,” he asserted. “Immediate and responsive help should be given to those who actually need it.”
Cera highlighted that weak connections between power and water systems are at the heart of recurring outages. When electricity to pumping stations fails, districts lose access to safe water, forcing them to rely on limited backup power. “The outcome leads to a cycle of service interruptions that compromise sanitation, endanger public health, and delay community recovery,” stated the group.
Meanwhile, Chua underscored that power lines serving water pumping stations are as critical as those for hospitals, cautioning that disruptions threaten hygiene, public health, and broader community stability. “We live in a modern community where we have access to modern technology and power, but I hope we don’t forget our basic human needs,” he said.
To prevent prolonged crises, Cera called on utilities to prioritize resources for the hardest-hit provincial areas, protect circuits serving essential water facilities, fast-track resilience projects like underground cabling, and maintain clear, consistent updates on power restoration affecting water systems.
(Also read: ERC Approval Paves Way for MORE Power’s Expansion in Iloilo Province)
A chain of calamities
Cebu continues to grapple with the aftermath of consecutive natural disasters. On September 30, a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Cebu, the strongest recorded in the region and the deadliest in the Philippines since 2013. At least 79 people died and 1,271 were injured, with damages estimated at ₱3 billion, including a significant impact on Cebu City.
Weeks later, Typhoon Tino brought torrential rains and destructive winds to the Visayas. PAGASA reported nearly 183 millimeters of rainfall in just two days—almost equivalent to six weeks of typical precipitation—causing severe flooding across Cebu province.
Shortly after, Typhoon Uwan raised Signal No. 1 in Cebu between November 7 and 9, further straining communities still reeling from previous disasters.
The human toll has continued to rise. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported that combined fatalities from Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan reached 269 and 28, respectively. Cebu bore the brunt, with 150 deaths attributed to Tino alone.
Gaps in electric cooperative (EC) response
DOE noted that approximately 1.4 million households lost power as Typhoon Tino battered the Visayas.
According to the Philippine News Agency, eight ECs reported total power outages on the morning of November 4 as the typhoon hit. The National Electrification Administration (NEA) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (DRRMD) identified them: Cebu II Electric Cooperative (CEBECO II), Cebu III Electric Cooperative (CEBECO III), Camotes Electric Cooperative (CELCO), Bantayan Electric Cooperative (BANELCO), Biliran Electric Cooperative (BILECO), Leyte II Electric Cooperative (LEYECO II), Leyte III Electric Cooperative (LEYECO III), and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO).
Additionally, Cera called on distribution utilities, including the Mactan Electric Company (MECO) and the CEBECOs, to implement urgent reforms to accelerate recovery efforts.
Slow power recovery was also observed when Typhoon Odette (Rai) struck Cebu in 2021. More than two months after the storm, residents in Cordova were still without electricity, prompting then-Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho to formally complain to MECO over its failure to restore power. The outages also disrupted key water systems dependent on electric pumps, leaving households struggling for safe water.
Some CEBECO branches recovered faster than others, highlighting uneven progress across the province. Three weeks after Typhoon Odette, CEBECO I, which serves northern Cebu municipalities, had energized only 20% of its service area. CEBECO II, covering central Cebu, had restored power to 97% of its major distribution lines and households. CEBECO III, responsible for southern municipalities, reported electricity was back in 75.7% of barangays in its franchise area. The stark differences reveal inconsistent planning and response capabilities among the ECs, leaving many communities disproportionately exposed to prolonged outages.
Manila Standard columnist Ray Eñano painted a stark picture of how ECs falter after storms or outages. “Unlike large distribution utilities (DUs), most ECs in the country have inferior infrastructure and do not have the technical expertise to meet the demands of consumers,” he explained.
He noted that even with funding and assistance from the National Electrification Administration (NEA), many ECs remain unprepared for major disruptions. “The poor response from a public service provider like ECs after a disaster is inexcusable—they should be at the forefront of recovery efforts,” he stressed. “Providing reliable and sustained power supply is the mandate of the ECs. This includes restoring electricity immediately to ease the sufferings of typhoon victims.”
But money alone is not the sticking point; the real concern is how it is being channeled. A review by the Iloilo-based Institute of Contemporary Economics found that ECs in Panay and Guimaras had used barely 25% of their ₱10.52-billion capital allocation from 2022 to September 2024. ICE warned that without faster and more focused investments, aging distribution systems may fall further behind as the country accelerates its move toward renewable energy.
(Also read: Critical by 2026: Panay’s Electricity Demand Outpacing Supply)
Funded by the public, yet falling short on service
In 2024, the NEA loaned about ₱1.8 billion to 36 ECs, up from ₱1 billion in 2023, with nearly ₱1.2 billion earmarked for regional infrastructure upgrades. Yet the Commission on Audit reports revealed ₱992 million in unliquidated funds as of 2023, raising ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in the taxpayer-backed program.
According to BusinessWorld columnist Bienvenido Oplas, NEA remains one of the most inefficient government agencies, relying heavily on continuous subsidies from taxpayers. “In 2020 alone, taxpayers nationwide sent P12.9 billion to NEA, then another P2 to P3 billion/year from 2021 to 2025,” he revealed. “The NEA subsidy, on average, is larger than the annual budget of its mother agency, the Department of Energy (DoE), and at least three times the annual budget of the Energy Regulatory Commission.”
A cornerstone of government support for electric cooperatives is the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund (ECERF), administered by the NEA. The fund gained renewed attention after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in 2024 caused widespread outages across Calabarzon, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas. This prompted Senator Sherwin Gatchalian to press NEA to enforce stricter compliance with the ECERF law.
“The goal of ECERF is not just to provide funds that ECs can tap for the restoration and rehabilitation of ECs’ damaged infrastructures following a fortuitous event such as typhoons but to ensure that the distribution utilities are resilient to withstand calamities,” Gatchalian stated.
Gatchalian further reminded ECs of their yearly obligations: to submit vulnerability and risk assessments, emergency response and mitigation plans, and resiliency compliance reports to NEA. He also underscored the importance of documenting the progress of mitigation projects identified in those assessments to prove that resilience planning is being carried out—not just filed.
Like Senator Gatchalian, consumer group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) called on ECs and agencies covered by ECERF to fully comply with resiliency and preparedness requirements. It pressed ECs to move from reactive fixes to proactive disaster management. The group also urged regulators to enforce stricter safety standards and hold utilities accountable for service interruptions.
PARE also emphasized that while linemen, which it calls “warriors of light”, risk their lives restoring power amid floods, strong winds, fallen poles, and live wires, many ECs remain poorly equipped and lack long-term disaster readiness. Nic Satur Jr., PARE’s Chief Advocate Officer, stressed that courage alone is not enough; utilities and government regulators must safeguard lineworkers through proactive preparation rather than reactive, post-disaster measures.
Preventive approaches are also crucial for both public safety and ensuring stable, affordable electricity. “Let’s not wait for another storm, earthquake, or disaster to teach us the same painful lesson,” Satur stated. “Let’s protect our warriors of light before the next disaster strikes.”
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Cebu_earthquake
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/signal-no-1-raised-over-cebu-other-parts-of-the-country-due-to-uwan
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2141704/tino-death-toll-climbs-to-269-uwan-fatalities-at-28
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1262501
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/cordova-mayor-hits-meco-over-power-restoration-delay
https://mb.com.ph/2024/10/31/nea-urged-to-ensure-resiliency-
https://www.wazzuppilipinas.com/2025/10/pare-urges-electric-cooperatives.html