Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (Facebook)

Former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is optimistic in achieving an era of ample and cheap electricity at reasonable rates now dawns on Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro provinces with the impending enactment of a measure that aims to expand the franchise area of a local power company.

The bill, already ratified by both chambers of the legislature (House of Representatives and the Senate), currently awaits the signature of President Marcos to become a law. 

Initially logged as House Bill (HB) No.11072 and sponsored by Alvarez, the measure will broaden the franchise area of Davao Light and Power Co. to cover more towns, notably the far-flung communities of the two Davao provinces. 

“I am happy--reliable supply of electricity is forthcoming to our province of Davao del Norte. That is clear. For quite some time, power outages have been our problem,” Alvarez ,who represents the province's 1st district, said in a statement Wednesday, March 12.

The bill previously suffered a setback at Malacañang. 

“Umaasa po kami ngayon na sana mabigyan ng tamang gabay si Pangulong Marcos na mag-desisyon ng tama at huwag na niyang i-veto. Isipin naman niya ang kalagayan ng taong bayan at hindi lang yung kooperatiba na napatunayang hindi kaya solusyunan ang brownout at mahal na singil ng kuryente sa amin," Alvarez said in a statement. 

(This time, we are confident President Marcos will move in the right direction and not veto it. He should consider the plight of our people, not just with a cooperative that miserably failed to solve our problem of brownouts and high electricity cost.) 

The Senate passed the bill last Feb. 4, with some amendments eventually concurred in by the House.

Under the proposed law, Davao Light will energize the cities of Davao, Panabo, and Tagum, along with the towns of Carmen, Dujali, Santo Tomas, Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod in Davao del Norte. 

Davao Light’s expanded service area is also seen to cover the townships of Compostela, Laak, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Mawab, Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan, and Pantukan in Davao de Oro.

Alvarez, a veteran legislator, expressed elation over the latest developments on his pet measure.

According to him, sloppy service by the local electric cooperative resulted in incessant power interruptions that stunted economic growth. 

He cited incidents in hospitals that had to abort sensitive medical operations due to the brownouts, leading to some patients’ deaths.

The ex-House leader added that children could not properly do their homework under candlelight and without no electric fans to fight off the heat. “This is really wrong,” he stressed. 

He said he refiled the Davao Light franchise bill because it was the right thing to do as the people’s representative in Congress. 

“With this bill becoming into law, investors will be encouraged to locate in the 1st

district of Davao del Norte. Where the supply and distribution of electricity will be much

reliable, businesses will flourish. Jobs will be generated in our province,” he said.