A CEBU City Councilor has requested Visayan Electric Company to accept promissory notes from its consumers in Cebu City before resorting to disconnections of their electric supply.
Councilor Nestor Archival filed a resolution during the Council’s regular session on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, that urged the utility provider to revisit its guidelines or procedures in disconnecting the supply of electricity to its consumers.
Archival told SunStar Cebu Thursday, Dec. 15, that during their executive session together with officials of Visayan Electric, the electric company said they will accept promissory notes and partial payment for customers who have already received their disconnection notice.
However, Archival said there are still people who would go to his office seeking assistance because their electricity had been cut off despite the promissory note or partial payment given to Visayan Electric.
“As per among meeting, ilang policy nindot man kaayo... but naa man guy daghang nangreklamo nga mga consumers nga dili na maoy ilang gihimo (Based on our meeting, their policy is very nice ... but there are several complaints from consumers that this is not actually being done),” said Archival.
During the executive session, officials from Visayan Electric also said the firm abides by the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, particularly on the removal of the meter and the guidelines and fees for the reconnection of the power supply.
Archival said the company should check their guidelines, especially since those who are doing the disconnection are just sub-contractors of the utility provider.
The councilor also hoped that Visayan Electric will be true to their word to give customers asking for a grace period in the payment of their electric bills consideration.
“Lahi man gyud ni ang pagsulti unya lahi sad ni kung mao ba ang gibuhat (It’s one thing to say something and it’s another to act on it),” said Archival.
Archival was not able to provide a definite number of constituents who sought assistance from his office, but he said many have already expressed their disappointment about the instant power disconnection.
SunStar Cebu reached out to Visayan Electric for their comment on Archival’s resolution but as of press time, no official statement had been released by the company.