BY ALDRIN JAMES A. BOHOL, JADE G. GUMBAN & ROCHELLE ANN L. UBAUB/DNSC Interns
THE DAVAO Light and Power Company assured residents of a stable power supply amid the rising summer demand, ruling out rotational brownouts while urging consumers to practice energy conservation to minimize bill impact.
Speaking at The Royal Mandaya Hotel presscon on Wednesday, April 8, Fermin Edillion, Davao Light reputation management manager, said the company managed to stabilize the supply through bilateral contracts with power plants, renewable energy sources, and the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).
”We really have enough power supply here in Mindanao. In fact, Mindanao even supplies electricity, the excess we have and send to the Visayas Region because we are interconnected,” Edillion said, emphasizing that Mindanao has adequate power generation to meet demand.
While a rate adjustment is projected to take effect around next week, April 15 or 16, as fuel shrunk due to the Middle East conflict, Edillion said they could not ascertain the amount of increase.
For instance, Davao Light, as a distributor, only computes the amount of consumption and the prevailing spot market rate.
“Let’s assess the situation now because the weather is quite humid due to summer, so it is also expected that the demand will also rise. Again, but how can we do our part? We should also reduce our demand and our consumption, if possible,” Edillion emphasized.
“Whatever electricity we purchase, we simply pass it on to the customers who use it. What you are paying Davao Light and Power Company for is the delivery of electricity to residents,” he explained.
WESM suspension clarified
On March 26, 2026, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ruled to suspend the WESM nationwide on account of the supply shortage and high power rates triggered by the Middle East crisis.
Edillon said the situation is more of a market intervention to regulate prices. Davao Light employs a system to monitor and purchase power at optimal WESM rates, and is currently shifting to generator sets when economically viable.
“This will have an impact on our finances. The best way to avoid feeling a big impact on our electricity expenses is to properly manage our consumption,” he said.
