Visayan Electric’s ‘Innovate Cebu’ Empowers Locals to Build a Smarter, Resilient Future

Visayan Electric has officially launched “Innovate Cebu: Ideas That Empower,” a community-centered innovation competition that challenges young professionals and students to create practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions to Cebu’s most pressing problems—from traffic congestion and flooding to energy efficiency and urban resilience.

Unveiled on October 16, 2025, the initiative marks a major step in strengthening Cebu’s position as a hub for creativity, technology, and inclusive growth, while fostering collaboration among government, business, and the academe.

The program is spearheaded by Visayan Electric, in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation Inc. and InnovationForce, with support from the Cebu provincial government and local universities.

“Innovation is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a must for survival and growth,” said Jokin Aboitiz, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of AboitizPower Distribution Utilities, during the launch.

“What separates thriving organizations from stagnant ones is urgency — how fast we can test, learn, and evolve. Speed matters more than perfection.”

Aboitiz underscored that innovation should not remain confined to corporate research labs or boardrooms, but should be cultivated among everyday problem-solvers — barangay leaders, linemen, teachers, and students.

“Building a culture of innovation requires the belief that if you build the environment to innovate, the innovation will happen,” he added.

He also cited Power Plus, a venture studio launched by AboitizPower, as an example of how new ideas can thrive beyond traditional utility operations by promoting experimentation and agility.

The Innovate Cebu competition serves as a launchpad for homegrown ideas, providing participants with a complete innovation journey—from ideation and mentoring to proof of concept (PoC) and minimum viable product (MVP) development.

Finalists and winners will receive funding and support to pilot and potentially implement their solutions in real-world settings.

This year’s theme, “Building a Resilient Cebu: Driving Innovative Solutions for Reliability, Resilience, and Regeneration,” invites participants to develop solutions guided by four key principles: simplify, automate, break through, and redesign.

The contest is open to two main categories:

• Student Creators Category – open to all full-time or part-time university students in Cebu, who may join individually or in teams of two to five members.

• Professional Builders Category – open to engineers, designers, business developers, and entrepreneurs based in Cebu or with strong ties to the province.

Entries will be judged based on three primary criteria: Simplification, for streamlining complex processes; Breakthrough, for introducing new and original problem-solving methods; and Automation, for reducing manual work and boosting productivity.

Winners from both the Student and Professional categories will receive significant prizes: ₱200,000 for first place, ₱75,000 for second, and ₱50,000 for third, along with awards, tokens, and — for top winners — access to at least ₱1 million in potential capital infusion, contingent on milestone completion.

Representing the Cebu provincial government, Paulo Uy emphasized that innovation must remain people-centered and inclusive.

“It’s not just about technology or grand inventions,” Uy said. “It’s about finding new ways to solve problems using what we already have — our talents, skills, and determination to make life better for others.”

Uy added that Cebuano ingenuity, when guided by purpose and collaboration, can drive sustainable progress. “Innovate Cebu shows that when people in government, business, and the academe work together, great things happen,” he said.

Aboitiz concluded the event with a challenge to the community: “Show us what you’ve got. Let’s build a Cebu that doesn’t just respond to the future, but feeds it — boldly and together.”

He added, “Innovation isn’t just about reacting to the future. It’s about building it together.”

Through Innovate Cebu, Visayan Electric and its partners hope to nurture the next generation of innovators — visionaries who can help build a smarter, more resilient, and future-ready Cebu, powered not just by technology, but by community-driven creativity and collaboration.