DAVAO CITY —For the nth time power consumers from Island Garden City of Samal held an interfaith rally at Barangay Miranda Gym to denounce the poor service provided by Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NORDECO) for decades.
Participants to the activity kneeled and offered prays for the national government and Nordeco to listen to their cry.
Nordeco is the power service provider of Davao de Oro and the First District of Davao del Norte.
The placard-bearing participants said they are fed up by the promises of Nordeco for a better power service for decades.
Feeling unheard and unattended, the interfaith rally was organized by United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) sought the attention of the national government, the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the House of Representatives and President Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr..
‘Ka RJ’ Javellana, Jr. who led the UFCC, said the rally was their way to urge NORDECO to provide adequate electricity service as it failed to address the sentiments of its consumers.
“Their power rate is exorbitant yet we always experience power disruptions causing massive loss to business operations and damage of properties due to fluctuation,” Island Garden City of Samal mayor Al David Uy lamented “We had enough of their promises,” he added.
UY said while Samal thrive in tourism, power remains a major challenge as it affects the movement of goods and limits investors due to power problem.
Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib who joined the interfaith rally said “We have suffered so much from economic loss to business opportunities, we cannot advance our trade missions because we cannot guarantee a stable power supply.”
On bended knees, Jubahib called on president Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. “Mr. President we are pleading to your kindness, listen to us, listen to your people, you are our hope.”
The group added that households, students, and small businesses continue to suffer due to disruptive brownouts caused by NORDECO’s inefficiency.
“Students are forced to suffer unbearable heat in the classrooms and difficulty complying with schoolwork due to unpredictably frequent brownouts. This results in being handicapped in learning better,” Javellana stressed. “Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are underperforming as a consequence of this electric supply instability, thereby, growth is stunted,” he added.“Our gathering and prayers be heard to once and for all alleviate people’s burden caused by NORDECO and that a better path for recovery be paved for the people of Davao del Norte,” Javellana, Jr. said.
But some well-informed residents said the power issue has become a political issue because the other political camp have never supported the people’s cause.
There are reports that a powerful politician is blocking the proposed bill in Congress for other power distributors to enter Davao del Norte for fear that if the power supply will become stable the credit will go to their political rival.
Present during the interfaith rally were Engr. Sean Gellarangarin, President, Tagum City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., Engr. Aerol B. Conde, Past President, Tagum City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.. Lorenzo Y. Rubinos, Sr., Founder and Chairman of LYR Group of Companies, Datu Gomer Vallejera, Tribal Chieftain, Barangay Camudmud, Frederick Lendon A. Monteclar, Barangay Captain, Barangay Miranda, Island Garden City of Samal and Ustad Asraf Dailane, Jama’ah Leader, Island Garden City of Samal.
