VISAYAN Electric launched Innovate Cebu: Ideas That Empower, an innovation contest that challenges young professionals and students to design practical, scalable solutions to Cebu's real-world problems -- from traffic and flooding to energy efficiency and sustainability.
The initiative, unveiled on Oct. 16, 2025, aims to strengthen Cebu's position as a hub for creativity, technology, and inclusive growth by empowering local communities to innovate from the ground up.
"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 emphasized that innovation should not be confined to corporations or research labs but should extend to 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, that aims to incubate new ideas beyond traditional utilities by fostering a culture of experimentation and agility.
Developed with support from the local government and the academe, Innovate Cebu 2025 serves as a collaborative platform that encourages participants to approach innovation through four key lenses: simplify, automate, break through, and redesign.
Representing the Cebu provincial government, Paulo Uy said innovation must remain people-centered and inclusive.
"It's not just about technology or grand inventions," he 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.
"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," Aboitiz added. / KOC