THE Visayan Electric Company (Veco) said its Don Gil Garcia substation in Barangay Ermita and its neighbor, the Cebu Private Power Corporation of AboitizPower, have been declared safe from the fire that hit the village Tuesday, February 5.
The fire hit at least three sitios in Barangay Ermita, destroying over 100 houses. Power was cut in the area.
Veco said its elevated metering centers in the area were affected by the fire.
It extended its sympathies to the victims of the blaze that hit the village around 1 p.m. Tuesday.
"As much as we would like to bring back power to the area right away, there are processes in place that residents must comply with to ensure everyone's safety," it said in a statement.
It advised residents whose houses were not affected by the fire but currently have no electricity to visit the nearest Veco service center (One Pavillion Mall in Banawa or the South Extension Office in Tabunok).
"Please bring along your latest electric bill and a photo of your house as proof. We will re-energize on a first come, first served basis after a thorough inspection by our crew," Veco said.
"Please note that it will take time to re-energize the houses whose meters belong to the elevated metering centers that were affected by the fire," it added.
For residents whose houses were partially or fully burned, Veco said they should secure a fire marshall report from the Bureau of Fire Protection and submit this to the nearest Veco service center.
"This BFP report will serve as energization clearance for residents with partially burned houses, as well as basis for updating the accounts of customers with fully burned houses," it said.
It added that electrical permits may be required for partially burned houses, especially those with breakers that were affected by the fire.
"Residents with fully burned houses will also need an electrical permit once they apply for a new connection with Veco," it added. (PR)