Motorists might be forgiven for easily missing them when they drove by that stretch as they headed to their destination. But the national highway from Davao City to Tagum City in Davao del Norte has become an economic artery of the working class.
Diana Rose Zalde, 38, is one such vendor. She is one of the multiple seafood stalls that dot the highway leading to Tagum City if one is coming from Panabo, Davao del Norte.
Long served by the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco), Tagum residents have endured persistent service gaps, soaring rates, and structural bottlenecks.
For years, Diana Rose has been selling seashells and mudcrabs to travelers, always ready to give her ready smile to any vehicle that stops by.
Currently, her house is completely disconnected from Nordeco’s grid due to the prohibitive infrastructure costs. Because her home is quite a distance from the main highway, getting a legal line requires paying for the electrical wire—billed per meter—from the nearest electrical post.
She said they power their appliances through a series circuit with a willing neighbor. As a result, they pay an even higher amount than the published rates of the electric cooperative.
“While we wanted our own meter, we have no choice. We live on a barangay road, and we were told that it is the barangay that will apply for us with Nordeco,” she said. But I could not afford to pay the excess cost of the wire per meter that they charge us.”
”I hope that Davao Light will reach our barangay, and more importantly, we can afford the connection fee,” she added.
Diana Rose said that even with minimal appliances, they are still burdened by a hefty electricity cost. But that’s only because their neighbor charges them a usage fee on top of the published power rates.
The journey to transition has been anything but smooth, with the dispute between the two utility companies being long and contentious, as the cooperative challenged court orders at every turn.
Finally, on May 15, 2026, Presiding Judge Rona P. Montealto-Arado of the Regional Trial Court Branch 2, in Tagum City, issued a Supplemental Writ of Possession, which granted Davao Light and Power Company the full authority to take over Nordeco’s remaining assets.
This followed the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Republic Act 12144, the law expanding Davao Light’s franchise area to include Tagum City and the municipalities of Asuncion, San Isidro, Kapalong, Talaingod, and New Corella.
For a vendor like her who earns below the minimum wage, Davao Light’s takeover of Tagum’s electrical distribution is a welcome respite, promising an affordable path to her very first electric meter.
“I could not say what I expect from Davao Light, but we’ve heard good things about them,” she said. “I just hope that Davao Light can reach our house. It’s so humiliating to always have to rely on our neighbor for our light.”
‘Like night and day’
Lorna Babalicay, 53, a seafood business owner who humbly describes herself as a housewife. resident of Barangay Canocotan, a village of a little more than 15,000 people, about seven kilometers away from downtown Tagum.
Lorna is Diana Rose’s neighbor, which means they are also not directly connected to the grid.
Unlike many lifelong residents of Tagum, Lorna possesses a unique perspective that fuels her high expectations. After all, she grew up in Davao City before migrating to Tagum. So, she experienced firsthand what efficient power distribution looks like.
“I know how Davao Light operates because I lived in Davao City for years,” Lorna said. “The difference between what I experience there and here in Tagum is night and day. In Davao City, when a transformer blows or a line goes down, the utility trucks are there within the hour. Here, it’s stop and go.”
So, Lorna looks forward to when Davao Light will reach their barangay. Although she has her misgivings about what it would cost her, considering their distance from the nearest electrical post. Her hopes soared when, just a few days before the interview, she saw a man—wearing the familiar coffee-colored Davao Light jacket—reading the electric meter of their village chief’s house.
Sadly, she was on her way to an errand, so there was no chance to ask questions.
“All I can say is the people here deserve the same level of service that Davao City is enjoying. We are ready for stable power, lower bills, and a company that actually answers when you call,” she said.
The contrast of experience
Further down the road in Barangay Bingcungan. Renowned for its decades-old mangrove forests, the village has established itself as one of the city’s recognizable tourist spots, the landmark that marks the boundary of Tagum City.
Forty-seven-year-old Jimmy Noble prides himself on being the only one selling balut (fertilized duck egg) in the area.
He has plenty of experience to spare, being a resident of neighboring Carmen town, known as the balut capital of Davao del Norte. He actually sources raw duck eggs from Carmen at a below-market price because he cooks them himself in his little rented shanty.
He starts displaying his products in the afternoon, well into the night, or until they sell out. However, nighttime operations depend heavily on the reliability of the local grid. Under Nordeco’s management, unannounced brownouts and voltage fluctuations frequently threatened commerce.
“Davao Light has actually supplied Carmen with electricity for a very long time now, so I can compare the services there with what I experience here in Tagum,” he said.
He said that long-time residents of Tagum might endure the unstable power and high billing provided by the electric cooperative because they have no choice. However, having experienced the service of both utility companies, he knows there is a better option.
“Better services mean we can keep our spots bright, safe, and welcoming for our buyers,” he said. “So, yes, I look forward to shifting to Davao Light because I have been their customer for years. We have been waiting for this change for so long.”
