Businesses in Cebu and across the Visayas must invest in more resilient power systems as structural grid challenges are expected to persist through 2028, according to COREPLUS, a subsidiary of Vivant Energy.
PJ Vinoya, COREPLUS senior business development manager, warned that recurring grid alerts, generation outages, rising electricity demand and volatile power prices point to continuing energy uncertainty, requiring companies to prepare for disruptions rather than rely solely on improvements in the regional power supply.
Speaking at the SIDLAK CEBU: Building Business Resilience During Energy Volatility forum, Vinoya said electricity costs were only one aspect of the risks businesses face.
“Businesses need to look beyond the direct cost of electricity. Voltage dips and outages, equipment wear, downtime, inefficient loads, and planned expansion all affect operations, and these are factors businesses can act on,” he said.
The forum gathered around 50 business owners and industry professionals to discuss measures for protecting operations against power disruptions and managing energy expenses.
Recommendations included electrical safety audits, infrastructure upgrades, energy-efficiency improvements and investments in solar power and battery energy storage systems. These measures can help companies manage consumption, improve power reliability and reduce exposure to supply interruptions, although their effectiveness depends on facility requirements and investment costs.
COREPLUS, which provides energy engineering and technical services to commercial and industrial facilities, said stronger energy management and infrastructure planning could help businesses mitigate operational risks while preparing for future expansion.
Melo Del Gallego, COREPLUS assistant vice president for business acceleration, said companies needed to take a more proactive approach to managing their energy requirements.
“The current energy landscape calls for businesses to be more proactive about understanding and managing their energy needs,” Del Gallego said.
He urged companies to move beyond reactive responses to outages and consider technologies and solutions that support long-term operational stability.
The push comes as businesses contend with electricity price volatility and reliability concerns that can affect production schedules, equipment performance and operating costs. For companies in the Visayas, the challenge will be balancing investments in energy resilience against capital constraints while maintaining competitiveness.
