THE BILL seeking to renew the franchise of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) is tone deaf to the overwhelming clamor of the people of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro.
Across social media, consumers have voiced legitimate frustrations over Nordeco’s inefficient services and exorbitant power rates. Instead of addressing these concerns, Nordeco dismisses them as “trolls,” silences critics by blocking accounts, or disables comment sections altogether. These are not trolls; they are real families and businesses struggling with unreliable service and rising costs.
Residents and entrepreneurs, particularly in the Island Garden City of Samal, have reported broken appliances, disrupted business operations, and livelihoods put at risk. These are everyday consequences of Nordeco’s failure to deliver dependable power.
The filing of House Bill 7006 by APEC Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc and PHILRECA Rep. Presley de Jesus only underscores where their priorities lie: protecting the interests of electric cooperatives rather than the consumers they are meant to serve. It should also be noted that lawmakers from Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro – Rep. Maricar Zamora, Rep. Jhong Ceniza, Rep. Oyo Uy, and Rep. JM Lagdameo – are not sponsoring this bill.
While the bill’s authors have long ties to electric cooperatives, they do not fully grasp the realities faced by consumers in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro. Their focus should be on fixing the problems within their own cooperatives, which continue to face issues, rather than forcing another chance for Nordeco on communities that have already endured decades of poor service.
After years of broken promises, asking the public to give Nordeco “another chance” is an insult to households and businesses who have suffered enough. Consumers are tired. We have been promised improvement for far too long, yet the reality remains the same: high rates, poor service, and broken trust.
Lawmakers from Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro must stand with their constituents and reject this bill. As representatives of the people, they must listen to the voices of those who elected them. What consumers want is simple: affordable, reliable power services that support households and livelihoods. Anything less is unacceptable.
Ryan Amper
Convenor
Davao Consumer Movement
0905-5634083
