TAGUM CITY –— Disgruntled business sector and angry consumers are up in arms against the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) are set to conduct an aawwakening rally on March 13, over poor power supply, expensive power rates and poor management rendered by the cooperative.
“We had enough” laments Aerol Conde, president of Tagum City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. in an interview with Newsline on Wednesday during the stakeholders meeting held in a local cafe’.
The worsening power problem prompted the business sector and consumers to launch an awakening rally to air their grievance in the hope that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the members of Congress will listen to their cry.
“We are not contented, we are deprieved of a basic requirement for business to operate well-power!” said Larry Rubiño, president of Southern Mindano’s biggest chain of appliance store.
“The design of Nordeco is rural electrification and we are now a rising urban city, they cannot provide what we need, we incur business losses,” said Rubiño.
Nordeco covers sixteen (16) municipalities and two (2) cities in the provinces of Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte.
The groups wanted the Congress and the president to pass House Bill No. 6740, filed by PBA Partylist representative Margarita Ignacia Nograles which seeks to amend the vetoed HB 10554 and to amend Republic Act 11515.
The House approved on third and final reading last May 30, 2023, HB 10554 sought to amend Republic Act (RA) 11515, the law granting a 25-year extension to the existing franchise of the DLPC but Marcos Jr. vetoed the Bill.
In an effort to amend the bill, four Representatives from Davao Region passed House Bill 6740 in January, which seeks to grant Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to extend their franchise area to Davao del Norte.
If the bill will be passed and becomes a law, it allow Davao Light to provide power supply in Davao del Norte, specifically in Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal, Talaingod, New Corella, Asuncion, San Isidro and Kapalong.
As it is now, Davao Light is serving the City of Panabo and the towns of Carmen, Braulio Dujali and Sto. Toman, all in Davao del Norte.
Conde and Rubiño said, they are not agaist Nordeco, but just like any other consumer, they need stable and affordable power supply.
Conde added that compared to previous years, the electricity rate rose by almost 40 percent while the services besomes poorer, as he questioning the expensive Systems Loss charges by Nordeco.
Rubiño, said it is high time that the national government and the President review the power situation of the country and review the state of the power cooperatives.
Rubiño added that even employees of Nordeco are suffering from the cooperative’s services and that everyone is affected.
“What we are doing is not against the government but instead it is a kind of help, our Congress should see if there is a need to amend the law because this is not what cooperative is,” Rubino Sr., said.
Last week, the residents of Samal Island protested because of the deficiency of electricity on the island.
In 2020, Nordeco promised to provide ample supply to the customers because the underground cable from Pantukan straight to Samal Island was underway, it will connects the island to a power barge stationed in Pantukan. But until now, no line is in sight.
Rubiño said that they cannot understand Nordeco as a cooperative, because until now members have never received a single devidend and demands accountability.
Rubiño hopes that Congress will listen to the voices of the people from Davao del Norte and that President Marcos will give them the right to find another power distributor because they can no longer endure the poor services of Nordeco.
