The Tagum City Chamber of Commerce and Industry is initiating an “awareness” rally against the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative on Monday, March 13, as it has joined the bandwagon of pushing the electric cooperative out of the province.
Aerol B. Conde, president of the organization, confirmed the activity, saying that it would have a “rally and a motorcade component.”
Although it has not yet released any statement on the rally, the business organization called the event “Consumer Awareness Rally” against the electric cooperative and in support of all the congressional proposals seeking to transfer the rest of Davao del Norte and Maco in Davao de Oro to become franchise area of Davao Light and Power Co. (DLPC).
Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy has granted a special permit to the group to hold a motorcade and an assembly at the Rotary Park of the city as the participants are ordered to follow minimum health protocols, including the use of face masks.
A similar rally took place in the island Garden City of Samal, also a city in Davao del Norte, on March 1. Aside from residents, also joining that event were city government officials, including members of the city council.
Mayor Al David Uy, like other members of the city council, also supported the move to oust the cooperative from the province.
On Wednesday evening, supporters of the cooperative held their own candle vigil opposing the call to allow a private company to take over its franchise area.
Of the towns and cities in Davao del Norte, Panabo City, Sto. Tomas, Carmen and Braulio Dujali have been under the franchise area of DLPC, the distributing company of Davao City.
At present, four bills have been filed before the House of Representatives for the takeover of the Nordeco franchise area in Davao del Norte and Maco, Davao de Oro.
Authors of the bills are Davao del Norte First District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Davao del Norte Second District Rep. Alan Dujali and Davao de Oro First District Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora, Reps. Maria Ignacia Nograles of the Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta partylist, and Carlo “Sandro” Gonzales of Marino partylist.
Unlike the three proposals, the one filed by Dujali and Zamora only wanted to transfer Island Garden City of Samal to DLPC.
Upon his assumption last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed the proposal to transfer the province and Maco to the franchise area of DLPC.
