A Tribute To The People Who Keep Our Holidays Bright

Holidays bring higher electricity demand: festive lighting, gatherings, music, food preparation, and even longer usage of appliances. While most of us are busy with festivities, gift shopping, and reconnecting with loved ones during the holiday season, a dedicated group of workers remains on duty so that homes stay lit and businesses stay open. 

These are the linemen, dispatchers, plant technicians, and other staff of the energy sector. They are the unseen guardians of our holiday cheer.

With the recent spate of natural disasters such as earthquakes and super typhoons that have taken down power lines, these people matter more than ever this Christmas season. When the grid fails, celebrations pause or plunge into darkness. By staying ready, these energy-industry workers keep our joy lit, our celebrations powered, and our homes comfortable.

Always On Alert

Utility companies usually declare “full alert” status during major holidays. For their part, Meralco places its operations crews on 24/7 standby even during Christmas Day to ensure uninterrupted service. They encourage customers to report power outages and other concerns through Meralco’s social media accounts and contact numbers listed on their website.

This commitment means men and women leave behind festive tables and gatherings so that others can enjoy their celebrations undisturbed.

At the Frontline: Linemen and Field Crews

When storms strike, damage hits power poles, lines, and transformers, and repairs are always of utmost importance. After Typhoons Tino and Uwan ravaged many regions in the country, several crews of linemen were dispatched and worked around the clock despite floods and dangerous weather conditions.

Thanks to their hard work and sacrifice, power was restored to over 3 million homes across the country.

Sometimes these linemen would go through extremes just to keep the holidays powered, as with the case of a Negros Oriental Cooperative worker who died trying to restore power in typhoon-devastated Tanjay City on Christmas Day 2021. The lineman, Ronald Gallarde, was remembered for his sacrifice and inspired the Senate to pass a bill making insurance coverage for all line workers mandatory.

We should all remember that these workers operate in dangerous conditions, scaling high poles or working in flood-hit areas, so that we can flick on the holiday lights in our homes, keep our refrigerators humming, and make our celebrations livelier.

The Hidden Teams

It’s not only the men and women on poles. Inside control rooms and dispatch centres, teams monitor grid stability, forecast demand spikes, and prepare for emergencies. During the festive season, when usage rises and weather patterns shift, these behind-the-scenes operators keep everything coordinated.

For Kevin Roi Canubas, grid manager for the Cayanga-Bugallon solar plant in Pangasinan, his passion for renewable energy is what drives his passion for service even during the holidays. “I pursued a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering because of my deep interest in innovation and technology. My passion for renewable energy stems from a desire to make a meaningful impact on the environment,” Kevin shared.

He added that missing his family during the holidays is a price he is willing to pay, given the stakes of his work. “It brings me immense joy to know that I’m contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable future — not just for my daughter, but for generations to come,” he said. “We recognize the importance of ensuring the seamless operation of our assets, even during the holidays. Should any disruptions arise, our team remains on standby, ready to respond and resolve them promptly.”

A Moment of Gratitude

It’s easy to take the “flip of a switch” for granted — especially when everything works. But every successful holiday gathering under cozy lights, every child watching TV or fridge humming quietly, has someone who skipped their own holiday rest so the system held up.

This is exactly the case almost every year for Vincent Alden Cruz, plant operator at GNPower Mariveles Energy Center (GMEC), where his critical role of ensuring a steady supply of fuel keeps him on duty during Christmas and New Year.

“There’s just a part of you that makes you think about your family. You wish to be together to welcome Christmas and the New Year, enjoying the Noche Buena and wishing each other happiness,” Vincent related. “Whenever I’m on duty during the Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve, I take a moment to greet and talk to them through the phone.”

But Vincent realizes the importance of his work and that of his teammates and co-workers, as they keep important baseload facilities like GMEC running in what should be the brightest time of the year. So, this holiday season, if you pause to appreciate your lights staying on, your food keeping fresh, and your house warm, remember the unsung heroes behind the circuits. They may not join the party, but without them, the lights wouldn’t shine. This holiday, let’s acknowledge their sacrifice and craftsmanship.

Source:

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/feature/powering-the-holidays-aboitizpowers-unsung-heroes

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2011984/meralco-guarantees-24-7-service-during-holiday-season

https://mb.com.ph/2021/12/28/lineman-dies-while-restoring-power-in-negros-oriental-on-christmas-day