ILAW welcomes enactment of Republic Act 12144

ILAW Pilipinas has lauded the passage of Republic Act 12144, which extends Davao Light‘s franchise to 15 additional areas in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro, while also urging government regulators to ensure that the law delivers on its promise.

In a statement, the non-profit grassroots organization said the enactment of the law is crucial to addressing the perennial problem of power outages in the affected areas, particularly in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS), which have greatly affected not only residents but business owners as well.

“Through our focus group discussion (FGD), ILAW heard firsthand the plight of affected business owners in ICAGOS over the severe economic impact of unstable electricity supply and unreliable service that left them with thousands of pesos in daily revenue losses and missed livelihood opportunities for workers due to frequent and prolonged power interruptions, “ ILAW said in a statement.

“We call on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to ensure a smooth transition and guarantee that the law delivers on its promise of an improved and reliable service for the people of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro,” it added.

Newsline Philippines reported Republic Act No. 12144 officially took effect after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. failed to act on the measure within the 30-day period outlined by the Constitution. The law was published in the Official Gazette on April 9 and will take effect on April 24. This law allows Davao Light to replace North Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) in key parts of Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro amid power reliability concerns.

Under the new law, Davao Light’s franchise now includes: Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal, Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod in Davao del Norte; and
Compostela, Laak, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Mawab, Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan, and Pantukan in Davao de Oro.

Prior to the passage of RA 12144, Davao Light’s franchise covers only Davao City, Panabo City, and the municipalities of Carmen, Braulio E. Dujali, and Santo Tomas.