VECO upgrades lighting system at Carbon Market I

CEBU, Philippines - Vendors at the Cebu City Carbon Market Unit I will no longer be paying for their individual lighting consumption after the Visayan Electric Company upgraded the electrical wiring system in the area.

At no cost to the city government, about 100 bulbs were installed at the Carbon Market to keep the area well-lit for consumers and vendors.

During the bulbs’ ceremonial turnover yesterday, VECO vice president for engineering group, Valentin Saludes III, asked the vendors to take care of the new system since it would benefit them, as well as the consumers.

“Ang Carbon is one of the projects of VECO. Di na kailangan og individual na suga sa mga vendors,” he said.

Acting mayor Edgardo Labella, who also attended the ceremonial turnover, said the project will help decrease crimes in the area since it is already lighted all over.

“This will lighten up the whole Carbon. This has a very significant impact to the consumers nga hayag ang market. This will deter criminality, kung hayag ang lugar, this is a good deterrent for criminal elements to pursue their trade because its lighted all over,” he said.

Labella said it will also help reduce the operational overhead expenses of the stall owners because they will no longer be placing their individual lights.

“It’s just my hope that with the reduction of the operational cost, they might as well reduce the prices the commodities that they sell,” he said.

This is the first electrical wiring project with a total project cost of P386,540.

VECO has also donated 42 hi-bay lights and 46 Compact Fluorescent Lamps to fully light up the market.   Labella said VECO personnel told him to replicate the project in other markets at Carbon.

He said the city government will shoulder the monthly electric bill of the new system.

In line with this, Raquel Arce, Market Authority head, urged the vendors not to engage in illegal tapping since it would only cause fire incidents.

Arce said vendors will have difficulty in tapping the new system because of the materials used by VECO contractor.

“Well-lighted na atong market. Before, nakabase lang ang suga sa merkado sa mga stalls. So, kun mamawng og suga, naay portions sa merkado nga ngitngit. So, karon, magsiga nana siya. Usa nga atong makita ana, nga maminusan ang lungkab, if not, mawala gyod kay hayag naman ang lugar,” she said.

If vendors will be caught tapping the new system, she said her office will remove their stalls immediately.

“Kun naa tay masakpan nga mag-tap, ato gyod bargohan og pwesto kay dilikado gyod ni kay maka-cause og sunog kay dili man sakto nga wires ilang gamiton,” she said. — (FREEMAN)