Franchise Expansion
Initially covering only the then municipality of Cebu and Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, the company expanded in 1928 with the approval of Act No. 3499 by Governor General Henry L. Stimson. This new franchise allowed Visayan Electric to serve more areas in the province of Cebu -- Mandaue, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela and Danao in the north, and Talisay, Minglanilla, San Fernando, and Naga in the south. The company continuously improved its capacity to meet the increasing power demands.
Our Story
How it Started
In February 25, 1905, American engineers Martin Levering, R.R. Landon, A.A. Addenbrook, and Albert Bryan founded Bryan and Landon Electricity with a starting capital of P250,000. On that same year, Don Mamerto Escano, a former councilor of the then municipality of Cebu and one of the first Filipino doctors in the province, purchased the utility and renamed it Visayan Electric Company SA.
Destruction and Rehabilitation
The Japanese Army sequestered the electric utility during WW2. All of its power generators were destroyed except for a 1,540 BHP Atlas Polar-Asea generating set, which was rehabilitated to restore power in Cebu. In the later part of 1942, the Taiwan Denryoku Kaisha, Ltd. took over the management from the Japanese Military. When Cebu was liberated by the American Forces, they set up more power generating units and on March 1946, the power utility was given back to Visayan Electric headed by Dr. Mamerto Escaño, Don Gil Garcia and Engr. Salvador E. Sala.
Growing Through the Years
In the late 1950s, Visayan Electric embraced innovation by installing steam turbine generating units fueled by coal, a locally abundant resource. This move marked a turning point for the company, with a Worthington steam turbine generating set commissioned in 1959 and an Allis Chalmers steam turbine generating set in 1963. Legislative support also played a role, with R.A. 3234 enacted in 1961, granting Visayan Electric Company, Inc. the rights and properties of its precursor, and franchise renewal in 1972 through R.A. 6454.
Success and Expansion
The company's commitment to excellence and progress was evident in its investment of P1.2B in capital expenditures from 1994 to 1998. These funds, sourced from internal cash generation, long-term borrowings, and reinvested dividends, were aimed at meeting the increasing demands of its customers. As of today, Visayan Electric stands as the second largest private electric utility in the Philippines, serving four cities and four municipalities in Metro Cebu. With a workforce of around 300 employees and serving over 500,000 customers, Visayan Electric continues to power up communities, covering 674 square kilometers with an estimated population of 2.6 million people as of 2020.