Nordeco vows sustained electrification drive amid dispute with DLPC

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) has vowed to continue supplying electricity to remote communities in Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte amid a bitter legal with the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) over electricity distribution rights in the area.

Herv Zamora Apsay, a senior Nordeco board member, said the cooperative energized Barangay Camanlangan, New Bataan in Davao de Oro on July 7 under the government-funded Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).

The project, worth P5.1 million, energized households in Puroks 5 and 6, communities that had long waited for access to electricity.

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Apsay credited the cooperative and its partners for making the project possible, emphasizing that the electrification effort was a product of collective commitment to bringing basic services closer to underserved communities.

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For the coop, he stressed that rural electrification remains a “commitment to communities that have long been left behind.”

Nordeco said it has continued implementing the SEP, energizing 23 sitios and puroks from June 4 to July 7, despite its ongoing dispute with DLPC.

The latest communities to receive electricity were Puroks Mag-uuma, Bungklas, Maglangit and Pagsilaan in Barangay Cabuyuan in  Mabini, Davao de Oro.

However, in Barangay Limbaan, New Corella, Davao del Norte, an SEP project encountered a setback after Nordeco reported that workers installing distribution lines were allegedly stopped last June 30 by individuals claiming to be personnel of DLPC.

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The P8.29 -million project, located in Purok 9 Kauswagan, was expected to provide electricity to about 180 households, including nearby areas in Purok 8A Vega and Purok 8B Crossing Ladeca, by August.

Demetrio Jagunos, Nordeco Area III services department manager, said the cooperative remains committed to completing the project, stressing that communities should not be deprived of electricity because of unresolved legal issues.

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The alleged disruption occurred amid the continuing legal battle between Nordeco and Davao Light following the expansion of the latter’s franchise under Republic Act 12144.

DLPC has maintained that it is the authorized distribution utility in the area, citing a June 25, 2026 order from the Regional Trial Court in Panabo City directing Nordeco to stop billing, collection, meter reading, maintenance and other distribution activities in areas where Davao Light’s possession and control of assets had been recognized.

As of posting time, DLPC has not issued a statement on Nordeco’s allegation regarding the Limbaan incident.

Nordeco said it would pursue legal remedies while continuing rural electrification work.

Residents of Limbaan, meanwhile, appealed to both parties not to let ordinary communities suffer while the case remains unresolved.

Davao de Oro 2nd District Rep. Leonel Ceniza pointed out the importance of rural electrification during the July 1 energization of Bag-ong Pag-asa Village in Pantukan town, which benefited 180 households.

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Ceniza said electricity is more than infrastructure—it is a service that strengthens education, livelihood, safety, productivity, and community development. /gsg