DAVAO Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light) has reported receiving approximately 800 pole relocation requests from the Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Region (DPWH-Davao).
Roger Velasco, president and chief operating officer of Davao Light, said during the 20th City Council session on Tuesday morning, April 30, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, that they have processed 865 pole relocation requests.
He said that there were discrepancies in the numbers between DPWH-Davao and Davao Light because the DPWH-Davao figures include poles from telecommunication companies.
Previously, Davao Light Project Supervisor Allan Villaver reported to the council on April 17, 2024, that around 5,786 poles were affected by infrastructure projects. Of these, 2,667 have been relocated, 371 are in progress, 1,506 are pending, and 943 have not been eligible for relocation since 2017.
However, Councilor Nilo "Small" Abellera, Jr. noted a discrepancy between Davao Light and DPWH-Davao’s data, with DPWH-Davao claiming that only 90 poles have been relocated since 2017 by Davao Light.
Velasco clarified that Davao Light has completed the removal of 209 poles out of the 865 requests received from DPWH-Davao. They anticipate completing 500 to 600 more by the fourth quarter of 2024 and the rest by the first quarter of 2025.
A pilot project along Rizal began in January 2024, resulting in the removal of around 30 poles for the Anti-Spaghetti Wire Ordinance.
Delay
Engineer Peter Roque, the project engineer of the Ulas Viaduct, bared during his report to the council that the delay in the project is partly due to poles that have not been relocated from Davao Light and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Velasco acknowledged the delay and expressed commitment to coordinate with DPWH-Davao to expedite the relocation of necessary poles for the Ulas Viaduct construction. He said that these poles serve about 100,000 customers, including the Davao City Water District (DCWD), making them sensitive to power interruptions.
“We are protecting that asset so that the least interruption will be experienced by that asset of Water District since it will inconvenience our customers and directly their customers,” he said.
Regarding concerns about holes left after pole relocation, Councilor Bernie Al-ag raised issues about driver safety and responsibility for patching these areas.
Velasco said that Davao Light typically handles repairs but noted that DPWH-Davao may take charge in certain cases to meet specific standards.
Despite challenges like Road Right of Way (RROW) issues and power outages during relocation, Davao Light has proactively addressed pole removal before construction and remains committed to ensuring minimal disruption to services. RGP
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