DAVAO Light and Power Company (Davao Light) is eyeing the completion of the second phase of its underground cabling project along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City by the first week of June, with only minimal work remaining, spokesperson Fermin Edillon said during a Davao Peace and Security Press Conference on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
Edillon, who is the guest at the event, together with Davao City Council’s Chairperson of the Committee on Energy Louie John Bonguyan, said the second phase of the project is expected to be inaugurated soon.
“We’re hoping na ma-inagurate nato siya in the coming days (We’re hoping it can already be inaugurated in the coming days),” Edillon said.
The second phase of the project covers the stretch from Suazo Street to Ramon Magsaysay Park. According to Edillon, overhead lines in the area have already been removed, although some cleanup operations are still ongoing.
He noted the project is “around 90%” complete, with only a few lines left to remove. Still, he noted that traffic-related challenges continue to affect the project’s implementation.
Edillon also acknowledged delays encountered during the project's implementation, citing unforeseen circumstances, including equipment shipment issues stemming from the conflict in the Middle East.
He, reported, however, that testing has already been conducted, indicating that most establishments in the area are now being supplied through underground cables.
Meanwhile, the first phase of the project, covering the stretch from the Davao Post Office to the Suazo area, has already been completed.
“Humana to siya. Wala nay mga wires (It has already been completed. There are no more wires there),” Edillon emphasized.
When asked which areas in Davao City may be next for underground cabling, Edillon said discussions with the City Government are still ongoing, although several areas have already been identified.
“Ang plano is ang Ponciano Reyes Street, as well as Elpidio Quirino (The plan is Ponciano Reyes Street as well as Elpidio Quirino as next),” Edillon shared.
Edillon also clarified that the underground cabling initiative is primarily a project of the City Government of Davao.
The project began two years ago, with DLPC among the agencies tasked with undergrounding overhead lines.
Apart from the underground cabling project, Edillon also announced that Davao Light has expanded its services in several areas of Davao del Norte following the issuance of a Supplemental Writ of Possession by the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 of Tagum City.
In a press statement, DLPC said the court order allows the company to begin serving Tagum City and the municipalities of Kapalong, New Corella, and Talaingod under Republic Act No. 12144.
The May 15, 2026 court order affirmed Davao Light’s authority to expropriate the distribution system previously operated by Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Nordeco).
Effective May 26, Davao Light said it would already oversee full operation and maintenance, billing and collection, and other customer services in the affected areas.
“Sunod bulan pag-receive nila sailang bagong bill, Davao Light na ang mangolekta (By next month, when consumers receive their new bills, Davao Light will already be the one collecting payments),” Edillon said.
However, Edillon noted that consumers may still experience occasional brownouts due to aging infrastructure inherited from the previous service provider.
“Dili mi makahatag og garantiya na 100% na wala nay brownout na mahitabo tungod ang linya sa Nordeco kinahanglan i-upgrade kay nipis ang mga linya. Ang substations kailangan i-upgrade kay medyo outdated pud kaayo. Expect gihapon nato from time to time na dunay mga outages na mahitabo sa expanded franchise areas na gi-mention nako (We cannot guarantee that there will be absolutely no brownouts because Nordeco’s lines and substations still need upgrades. Consumers should still expect occasional outages in the expanded franchise areas I mentioned),” Edillon noted.
To minimize interruptions, Edillon said the electric company has already begun implementing initiatives such as vegetation management and the construction of an additional power line from Maco to Tagum to address overloading issues in the current system. FRANCES KIM CACHILA, ADDU, SUNSTAR INTERN
