DAVAO CITY (September 24) — As the utility starts to annex the franchise territories of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco), a recently formed consumer movement in Davao City is calling on Davao Light and Power Company (Davao Light) to be open and honest.
The call is made at a time when residents are struggling with a remarkable increase in their monthly bills of P1.5625 per kWh, which is significantly higher than the centavo-level changes they had become used to.
This is the second-highest increase since May 2024, when the El Niño phenomenon and price instability from the Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) caused an increase of P1.6254 per kWh.
In a press statement earlier this week, the Mindanao Alliance for Progress (MAP) claimed that Dabawenyos should be given openness and guarantees that the billions of pesos required to repair Nordeco’s outdated and unreliable power grid would not be surreptitiously charged to the city’s current customers.
‘We are aware that the residents of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro will benefit from cheaper prices and improved service as a result of Davao Light’s entry into these two provinces. However, Davao Light should make sure that its current consumers won’t foot the bill for these investments,” MAP organizer Mayet Valdez stated.
According to Valdez, MAP’s goals are to protect consumers, advance openness, and guarantee that infrastructure and other necessities like power are provided without taking advantage of ratepayers or taxpayers.
A typical household with an average monthly consumption of 200 kWh will see a P312.50 rise in comparison to their previous billing cycle due to the P1.5625 per kWh increase.
Many Dabawenyos were taken aback by the unexpected spike in the September billing cycle. From September 11 to October 10, 2025, DLPC’s total residential rates increased from P9.0782/kWh in August to P10.6407/kWh. In the past, variations in electricity costs have typically been within the centavo range.
DLPC ascribed the rise to increased WESM generating costs brought on by supply constraints caused by power plant outages. However, many in Davao City were concerned that the timing of the increase indicated that expansion-related expenses were already getting into their bills.
Meanwhile, at the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing on September 17, Fermin Edillon, Davao Light’s Reputation Head, confirmed that Mindanao’s power situation is steady, stressing that the lack of a yellow alert for September signals a strong reserve buffer. He highlighted that the recent increase was due to market conditions and power plant disruptions, not the expansion.
Edillon further stated that demand normally rises in October and November, when industries and businesses have their busiest seasons, making supply management critical. He stated that DLPC is committed to ensuring reliability even as it expands into Nordeco’s geographic areas.
Still, when pressed to remark particularly on MAP’s concern, Davao Light remains silent.
Davao Light has already made its presence felt in Nordeco territory. Last July, the company started ground on its first digital substation in Tagum City, and 45 distribution poles were recently constructed in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, as a significant first step toward transitioning.
However, Nordeco believes that it is the lawful operator until the Supreme Court rules on its lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Republic Act 12144, the statute that enabled the acquisition.
The cooperative maintains that its activities are “full and normal” and has yet to formally react to DLPC’s efforts to form a joint transition committee.
