THE DAVAO Consumer Movement welcomes the enlightenment provided by Senator Miguel “Migz” Zuburi during the Plenary Session on Jan. 20, 2025, with regard to Senate Bill No. 2888.
The bill seeks to expand the franchise area of Davao Light to the rest of Davao del Norte and Maco, Davao de Oro.
During the session, Sen. Zubiri highlighted three important points that the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) still refuses to acknowledge and continues to drum up its delusions.
-
The Supreme Court already has a ruling with regard to the electric cooperatives’ claims that the proposed Senate Bill No. 2888 violates the Constitution. Senator Zubiri cited G.R. No. 264260 (Iloilo Electric Cooperative, Inc. [ILECO I], et al. v. Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, et al.) where it stated that “We deem it necessary to state at the outset that exclusive franchises are not sanctioned by the Constitution. Moreover, franchises are subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal by Congress when the common good so requires. The decision is dated July 30, 2024, and penned by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda.
-
There is a stark difference between the service of NORDECO and Davao Light. Zubiri said that based on data gathered from the Department of Energy, Davao Light’s brownout averaged 209 minutes per year or around 17 minutes a month while NORDECO’s brownout per month only averaged 242.33 minutes or around 4 hours (July 2024). Data also showed that Davao Light recorded on average three blackouts in a year while NORDECO averaged five blackouts in a month.
-
Lastly, the Senator highlighted the struggles of people living in the franchise area of NORDECO. He pointed out that consumers in the Davao Light area with at least a 200/kwh monthly consumption have around P700 worth of savings due to the power distributor’s low power rates as compared to those in the NORDECO franchise area. Those in NORDECO’s franchise area are being charged around P2/kwh to P5/kwh more than those in the Davao Light franchise area.
We resonate with the Senator’s statement that there are a lot of people who want to invest in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro but are being held back by the high power rates and poor service.
The revelations put forward by Senator Zubiri highlight the need for change for those in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro. How can they live comfortably when they have to worry about high power rates and deal with poor power service?
Ryan Amper
Convenor
Davao Consumer Movement
0905-5634083
