Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) President and COO Enriczar T. Tia said they are ready to meet with the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) to ensure a smooth transition once the proposed franchise expansion bill is passed.
During the Business Matters media forum on March 7, 2025, Tia confirmed DLPC’s openness to working with Nordeco despite the latter’s resistance to House Bill (HB) 11072. The bill, which seeks to expand Davao Light’s franchise in Davao del Norte and part of Davao de Oro, was approved by the House of Representatives.
(Also read: Senate Approves Davao Light’s Franchise Expansion)
While Nordeco has strongly opposed the bill due to concerns over its impact on rural electrification, Tia emphasized that Davao Light’s approach would not be hostile.
“I understand there is a resistance, that’s normal, but our position really is we will not move in there na parang hostile, we will sit down with the Nordeco once we transition, and talk about it,” Tia said.
“We also need employees and they [Nordeco] have their existing employees, they have their resources, the assets, the hardware is there, so we will sit down together with them and discuss this thoroughly for a smooth transition anyway at the end of the day we have a common interest which is to really serve the customers better,” Tia added.
Opposition to expansion
The proposed expansion has faced opposition, particularly from Nordeco, which claims that Davao Light’s track record does not reflect a commitment to serving rural and remote communities.
In a public letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Nordeco expressed concern that the expansion could threaten ongoing rural electrification programs, especially in areas with financial constraints.
“Given DLPC’s historical performance—leaving 19% of its existing franchise area in Davao City unenergized even after decades of operation—there is little assurance that DLPC will prioritize these challenging rural areas,” the letter stated.
However, Davao Light has reported that it has been providing electricity services to remote communities since 2018 through its Sitio Electrification Program (SEP). By 2022, it had energized 99 percent of its nearly 4,000 target sitios.
(Also read: Samal Island fights power woes with energy projects)
Stable power for local development
While the bill is still pending in Congress, Tia acknowledged the hard work of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to get the bill approved and presented to the Office of the President.
“There were exhausted efforts already during the hearing both the Senate and the House…already concurred that the customers deserve better service,” he said.
While Tia emphasized Davao Light’s commitment to waiting for the President’s decision on franchise expansion before collaborating with Nordeco, he acknowledged that extending Davao Light’s services would be a great privilege.
“We know that we’re proud to have a good brand service here in Davao City and extending that to Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro is such a privilege for us,” Tia said.
“It’s also part of the growth and development of local government units and businesses to have stable power, we all know that power is the basic infrastructure needed,” Tia added.
Sources:
https://edgedavao.net/latest-news/2025/03/davao-light-willing-to-sit-down-with-nordeco/
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/nordeco-appeals-to-pbbm-prevent-passage-of-bill
