Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) has successfully powered all 182 barangays in Davao City, marking a significant milestone in the city’s infrastructure development. This achievement ensures that even more communities, from bustling urban centers to remote rural areas, now have reliable power to boost economic growth in Davao City.
At the Business Matters media forum on March 7, 2025, Davao Light President and COO Enriczar Tia reiterated Davao Light’s commitment to bring electricity to the remaining off-the-grid and far-flung areas.
Ninety-six percent of these remote areas are now connected, and full electrification is expected to be completed soon.
“We are proud to report that in Davao City, we have completed rural electrification so all barangays are energized,” Tia shared with media forum attendees.
Davao Light has been electrifying remote and rural communities since 2018, as part of the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP). The SEP is a government initiative that focuses on energizing underserved sitios to promote economic growth and improve the residents’ quality of life.
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Illuminating lives and futures
Last May 2023, Davao Light connected Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District, to the power grid, bringing electricity to over 300 households.
“We’re very lucky in Barangay Malabog as our sitios are now 90 percent energized,” Barangay Captain Jessielito Areja said during the ceremonial switch-on. “Even the sitios with no constructed roads yet now have electricity.”
Julius, a resident farmer from Sitio Taloytoy, shared how electrification had a great positive impact on his livelihood.
“Since it becomes too dark in the evenings, we need to eat dinner by five o’clock so we retire from working in our fields at three o’clock. Now that we have electricity, we’re able to adjust our work hours. Now, we can tend to our fields until five o’clock,” Julius said.
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After decades in the dark, Barangay Lumiad also saw a better and brighter future with rural electrification. Thanks to reliable power, entrepreneur Vergie Sombilon was able to broaden the selection of goods at her sari-sari store to include cold drinks, ice, and other frozen goods.
Reading by the light of a gas lamp was necessary but unsafe for fellow Barangay Lumiad resident Res-Ann Maravillas Baticura. But it is no longer a reality for her nor her classmates, as Davao Light connected both her home and her school to the grid.
As more and more communities in remote areas experience the life-changing benefits of electricity, residents can better pursue their goals, achieve their dreams, and enjoy an improved quality of life.
Sources:
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/davao-light-powers-davao-citys-182-barangays
https://industry.gov.ph/national-electrification-administration/
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/davao-light-energizes-300-households-in-malabog
