DAVAO Consumer Movement (DCM) urged residents in Davao del Norte and Maco, Davao de Oro to unite in supporting the proposed bill for the expansion of Davao Light and Power Co. (Davao Light) in their areas.
“We at DCM believe that this bill is what is needed as an answer to the ills that have beset electricity distribution in areas under this proposal. It will be the answer to the prayers of the people in these areas,” Ryan Amper, DCM co-convenor, said in a statement on February 15, 2023.
In January 2023, Dabawenya lawmaker Rep. Margarita Ignacia Nograles of the PBA party-list filed House Bills (HB) 6740, which aims to expand the area of coverage of Davao Light.
“This bill seeks to expand Davao Light’s franchise to establish, operate, and maintain, for commercial purposes and in the public interest, a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to the end-users,” Atty. Margarita Ignacia Nograles of the PBA party-list, the proponent of HB 6740, said in her explanatory note.
Amper said the bill filed was comprehensive enough to address the concerns of the absorption of employees of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco).
“The bill is comprehensive enough to address these concerns and allows both the cooperative and the private utility to prepare in case it becomes a law,” he said.
“The bill specifies that 'as far as practicable and subject to certain qualification standards, (the grantee or Davao Light must) give preference to former Nordeco when it commences business operations in its new franchise," he added.
According to the proposal, both companies “shall jointly ensure that affected employees not hired by the grantee and not retained by Nordeco shall, to the extent eligible, receive all separation or retirement benefits in accordance with applicable laws.”
The proposed bill also said Nordeco should not prevent Davao Light from exercising the right of eminent domain during the transition period.
“These provisions becoming focal points of the proposal, the strong support of the community is needed to ensure that legislators and the entire bureaucracy support it,” Amper said.
Amper said that he believes that the President will be open to hearing the voice of the people.
“The President will not close his ears to the pleas of the people of the areas as both the local government units in these areas as well as their respective business groups have expressed their support for the expansion of the services of DLPC into their areas,” he said.
Currently, Davao Light covers areas in Davao City, Panabo City, Carmen, and Sto. Tomas and Braulio Dujali. KSD