VECO simulates crisis to check employees’ readiness to respond

Crisis Management Plan is initiated in case one of VECO’s facilities bogs down due to incidents like fires, natural calamities and terrorist attacks

THE Visayan Electric Company (VECO) assured yesterday that they are equipped to respond to incidents like fire, natural calamities or terrorist attacks should any of these happen in their Banilad Office, which houses the firm’s central control system.

“In case a fire, terrorist attack or natural calamity breaks out at the VECO facility in Banilad, the company’s personnel are ready,” said Henry Burgos, VECO’s head for Operations Risk Management, during the firm’s simulation activity yesterday.

A simulation activity for the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for the loss of facility of the main office of VECO was conducted yesterday. The CMP was activated as early as 5:30 a.m on the assumption of a fire at VECO’s Banilad facility.

VECO posted an advisory in their Facebook account assuring the public that their services will not be hampered with the simulation activity. The firm’s objective was to resume the Banilad business operations in an identified staging site within 24 hours. The same advisory was also posted on VECO’s website and Twitter account.

The loss of Banilad facility simulation was lifted at 4:35 p.m yesterday.

Burgos said the activity was a surprise simulation to all VECO Banilad employees. Only a few of VECO’s top executives knew about the actual day of implementation.

Following its CMP, VECO Banilad employees were then instructed to proceed to their designated sites for the continuation of services and operation.

As of 2 p.m., all operations are running and there were no reported incidents of customers being affected, said Jeff Belotindos of VECO’s Operational Risk Management.

VECO-Banilad houses key departments like engineering, which controls the system operations division. They handle the digital switching of electricity in franchise areas. It has about 260 employees.

In case of untoward incidents, Burgos said VECO has duplicated its control system in its other facilities, allowing them to respond and continue their usual business operations. The firm has also identified staging sites spread across its franchise area.

“There will be no power interruptions (in the case of fire incident in Banilad) as we can operate remotely,” said lawyer Jill Verallo, head of VECO’s Reputation Enhancement Department.

“The objective of the simulation activity is to test the procedure, the knowledge of the team and the capability of the firm to operate and respond given the situation,” said Burgos, adding that the past twin calamities that affected Cebu served as an “eye-opener” for them to strengthen further their business continuity plan.