THE 21st City Council is set to invite Davao Light and Power Company (Davao Light) and telecommunications companies to explain the delay in the relocation of poles at the Maa Flyover Project.
During the council session on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus said he intends to pass a resolution urging Davao Light to remove the poles; thus, he requested them to appear before the council on August 19, 2025.
"May I request their presence on the next session day so that we can hear from them the pros and cons of moving ahead with the transfer at the soonest possible time and perhaps get a commitment from them to immediately relocate it," he said.
This comes after the Department of Public Works and Highways-Davao Region (DPWH-Davao) reported during the session that the delay in the Maa Flyover Project was due to Road Right of Way (RROW) issues and the pending relocation of utility poles. The agency had been invited by Councilor Jessica Bonguyan to provide updates on the project.
Dean Ortiz, spokesperson for DPWH-Davao, said that out of 41 affected properties, 29 have already been settled — two in 2023, 16 in 2024, and 11 in 2025. Of the 12 remaining properties, he said they are prioritizing four: two owned by real estate companies, one by a gas station, and one by a private individual.
"But within those properties are the poles of Davao Light and Power Company and the telecommunications company so that's giving us the problem karon [right now], so they need to move… relocate these poles sa portion namo nga na-widen na (to the portion that we already widened)," he said in a media interview.
He explained that road improvements under the flyover’s superstructure are necessary so that construction can proceed on the approach.
He said that if Davao Light can relocate the poles soon and other conditions remain favorable, the flyover could be passable by December 2025, and with the full clearance of the RROW, the entire project could be completed by March 2026.
Meanwhile, Fermin Edillon, head of Davao Light's Reputation Enhancement Department, explained that the company cannot relocate the poles until the RROW issues in the area are resolved. He revealed that they once relocated a post, but shortly after doing so, the property owner threatened legal action.
"Naga-closely coordinate amoang team sa ilaha and ma-transfer na namo, in fact naka-transfer nami sa uban, kana na lang gasoline station dinha na they are still protesting (Our team is closely coordinating with them, and we have already managed to transfer some; in fact, we’ve already transferred others, except for that gasoline station over there, which is still protesting)," he said during the Wednesday Habi at Kape on August 13, 2025, at Ayala Malls Abreeza.
Edillon added that once the RROW issues are settled, Davao Light will immediately relocate the poles and that they already have enough personnel assigned for the task.
He explained that relocating the lines requires careful planning to keep interruptions to a minimum, and assured the public that timely updates on the relocation’s progress would be provided.
On November 27 last year, Ortiz said that the Maa Flyover is expected to be completed by late 2026 or early 2027. However, some portions of the project are facing delays because of RROW issues. RGP