POLITICAL crosscurrent is electrifying to the more than 300 thousand population of Tagum City and its nearby settlements in the First District of Davao del Norte.
Both parties are craving to control the half century-old electric cooperative Daneco, now Nordeco that serves the district; and maybe the province by and large.
According to PhilAtlas, Tagum City has 154,219 voters as of the 2019 midterm elections: and the biggest in number of voters among the three cities of Davao del Norte (Tagum, Panabo and Igacos).
Geographically, Tagum is the business hub of traders from Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental. And so the congressional initiative of First District Congressman Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez of constructing the 1.625-kilometer flyover is timely.
The economic boom of the First District of Davao del Norte particularly Tagum city salivates many politicians. But only a handful of them realized that electricity is vital for the developing metropolis.
While the momentum of Tagum’s development gets closer to meridian, Davao del Norte Governor Edwin “Kuya Gob” Jubahib is working out to appease the outcry of its constituents for a stable power supply as the neighbors are enjoying.
Alvarez and Jubahib with the DavNor Consumer Coalition, campaigned to transfer the control of electricity from the cooperative NORDECO into a private electric company Davao Light and Power Corporation (DLPC) of the Aboitiz group.
With that initiative, six mayors signed the privatization petition. They are Tagum City mayor Allan Rellon, Igacos mayor Al David Uy, Talaingod mayor Jinnie Libayao, Kapalong mayor Maria Theresa Timbol, New Corella mayor Jorjan Federiso and San Isidro mayor Arnel Sitoy. Only Asuncion mayor Eufracio Dayaday declined.
NORDECO General Manager Mario Angelo Sotto is the spiritual adviser of Senior Board Member Arturo “Papa Guv” Uy of Davao de Oro.
We don’t know exactly how politics in Davao del Norte is deeply attached to the issue on the control of electricity. But whispers are getting louder that the Uys are grooming a gubernatorial player to contend Jubahib for the 2022 elections.