By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Power consumers are getting a bit of a break this February, with lower electric bills coming in just as rival distributors locked in a heated franchise fight in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) rolled out their own rate cuts.
Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light) said residential customers will pay P10.30 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the Feb. 11 to March 11 billing period, down P1.42/kWh from January’s P11.72/kWh.
The utility attributed the decrease mainly to lower power supply prices from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), one of its supply sources.
“The decrease in February’s power rate reflects a drop in generation charges. This brings some relief to power consumers after the rate hike last January and demonstrates our ongoing effort to manage supply costs efficiently while ensuring the delivery of reliable service,” said Fermin Edillon, head of Davao Light’s Reputation Enhancement Department.
For a household consuming 200 kWh a month, the adjustment translates to about P283.20 in savings, the company said.
Meanwhile, Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) also announced a rate cut for its member-consumer-owners (MCOs) for the February 2026 billing month.
Residential rates will drop from P14.90/kWh to about P12.12/kWh, or a reduction of P2.7759/kWh, the cooperative said. Low-voltage customers will see a decrease of P2.7232/kWh, while high-voltage consumers will benefit from a P2.8107/kWh cut.
Like Davao Light, NORDECO said the lower rates were driven by reduced generation charges from its power suppliers, which are passed on to consumers.
Both utilities noted, however, that the lower generation charge cushioned the impact of a higher Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME), as directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) under Case No. 2025-060 RC.
Starting February, bills will reflect an additional P0.0713/kWh for the UC-ME basic subsidy rate and P0.0057/kWh for the UC-ME Renewable Energy Developers’ Cash Incentive (REDCI) rate. The UC-ME subsidizes power generation in remote and unenergized areas.
The rate adjustments come as tensions escalated in Island Garden City of Samal following a 30-minute island-wide blackout on Feb. 25, which coincided with the enforcement of a contested writ of possession in favor of Davao Light.
The writ, issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 4 Panabo City, granted Davao Light control over distribution facilities in Samal.
NORDECO accused Davao Light of illegally implementing the writ, claiming the move disrupted its operations and triggered the outage.
In a statement, the cooperative alleged that Davao Light personnel, purportedly acting on a sheriff’s order and in the presence of local officials, manually opened reclosers at the power plant of Phil Power Ventures Corporation (PPVC), its generation provider.
The switching operation—done using a hot stick despite PPVC’s objections—interrupted the existing power supply agreement between NORDECO and PPVC and cut electricity across the island for about 30 minutes, it said.
NORDECO described the act as “tortious interference” and a breach of standard operating and safety protocols, adding that it suffered revenue losses as a result. It also said a motion for reconsideration remains pending and questioned the timing of the writ’s enforcement.
The cooperative maintained that its franchise in Igacos remains valid until 2033 and cited a ruling of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which it said granted Davao Light operational responsibility but not exclusive control.
Davao Light has yet to issue a detailed response to the allegations but earlier announced on social media that it had begun operations in Samal and was ready to serve consumers there.
Igacos Mayor Lemuel Reyes formally welcomed Davao Light as the city’s new power distributor, saying the company had assumed control of poles, lines, transformers and related infrastructure in compliance with Republic Act No. 12144.
Reyes said residents and resort owners—key drivers of the island’s tourism economy—could now directly coordinate with Davao Light for their electricity needs. City officials have started visiting barangays to inform consumers about the transition.
With both utilities asserting authority and legal questions unresolved, the power struggle over Samal’s distribution system shows no sign of cooling, even as consumers enjoy temporary relief from lower monthly bills.
###
