THE NORTHERN Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) has turned delay into a habit – prolonging the suffering of consumers by stubbornly refusing to cooperate in the smooth transition of power providers in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro.
Since Davao Light took over four substations and Nordeco’s main office in March, technical issues have disrupted power in areas formerly served by the cooperative. Yet instead of resolving these problems, Nordeco has slowed progress: it cannot access substations now under Davao Light, while refusing to let Davao Light access distribution lines. Because the writ of possession issued by the Tagum Court does not cover these lines, outages drag on as both sides point fingers instead of fixing the problem.
This raises a serious question: is Nordeco living up to its promise of “Serbisyong Kinasingkasing”? Its refusal to cooperate, its blame-shifting, and even dismissive responses of its supporters and alleged employees like “Pagtukod diay mo linya ninyo” show selfishness and disregard for consumers. Such actions not only betray their slogan but also disrespect the public and Republic Act 12144, already upheld by the Supreme Court.
NORDECO has the option to sell its distribution assets, a move that would benefit both the cooperative and the consumers who have faithfully paid their bills. Cooperation is not just the right thing to do; it is the only way to honor the trust and investment of the people.
At the end of the day, consumer welfare must come first. Only through genuine cooperation can Davao Light and Nordeco deliver on their promises of “A brighter future” and true Serbisyong Kinasingkasing.
Ryan Amper
Convenor
Davao Consumer Movement
0905-5634083
