ISLAND Garden City of Samal (Igacos) Mayor Lemuel “Toto” Reyes urged workers of Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Nordeco) who lost their jobs to approach him, saying he would ask Davao Light and Power Company (Davao Light) if they could still be given work.
“Sa katong mga taga-Nordeco na nawad-an og trabaho, duol mo sa akoa kay atong hangyoon ang DLPC nga maka-trabaho gihapon mo (For those from Nordeco who lost their jobs, approach me so we can request DLPC to provide you with work),” he said in a Facebook post on March 16, 2026.
Nordeco has about 700 workers, many of whom have been working for the cooperative for decades. Several of these employees raised concerns over employment security after Davao Light expanded its franchise areas and took over parts of Nordeco’s franchise areas, saying there was no guarantee that they would be absorbed by Davao Light.
Earlier, in a Facebook post on March 10, 2026, Davao Light said that with the expansion of its franchise in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, the company is hiring employees to support its manpower needs, especially as its operations continue to grow. The company also stated that it welcomes applicants from Nordeco.
“We are open to hiring qualified applicants, including employees from Nordeco,” Davao Light said.
To recall, Davao Light, through Republic Act No. 12144, which took effect in April 2025, expanded its franchise areas to include Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro. The company also cited the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2026, which upheld the constitutionality of the law, as the basis for its authority.
The company also said that a Writ of Possession was issued by the Regional Trial Court–Panabo Branch 4, authorizing Davao Light to take over the electric distribution assets in Samal.
However, Nordeco said on March 10, 2026, that Davao Light’s claims of authority to operate as the sole electricity distributor in Samal were misleading and premature, noting that legal proceedings remain unresolved.
Nordeco also disputed several claims published by Davao Light on its official social media page a day earlier, particularly the assertion that the company’s mandate to distribute electricity in Samal has already been firmly established. The cooperative said that the case has not yet reached finality.
The electric cooperative also maintained that its franchise remains valid and may coexist with that of Davao Light under Section 11, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, as interpreted in previous jurisprudence involving the Iloilo electric cooperatives and MORE Electric and Power Corporation. RGP