By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORDECO) has maintained that it continues to conduct meter reading, billing, and collection in its service areas, saying it still receives billings from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and other power providers despite Davao Light and Power Co.’s claim that it is now the authorized entity to bill and collect payments in several areas of Davao del Norte.
In a June 22 advisory, NORDECO told its member-consumer-owners that its reading, billing, and collection operations remain ongoing. The cooperative said it was still being billed by NGCP, its transmission provider, as well as by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) and the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), which it described as its generation providers.
NORDECO said the May 2026 billings it received from NGCP, PSALM, and IEMOP covered electricity consumption from April 26 to May 25, 2026. It said these charges are pass-through costs which, under Energy Regulatory Commission guidelines, are to be reflected in consumers’ June 2026 bills. NORDECO said reading and billing for the June cycle would begin on June 23.
The advisory appeared to push back against Davao Light’s announcement that it had taken over billing and collection functions in Tagum City, Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, Sawata, and Talaingod beginning May 26, 2026, following Republic Act No. 12144, a Supreme Court ruling, and a writ of possession issued by the Regional Trial Court in Tagum City.
Davao Light had advised consumers that electricity consumed starting May 26 should be paid to Davao Light, and that it was the only authorized utility to read meters, issue bills, and receive payments through its collection partners.
The dispute comes as Davao Light also announced a P1.95-per-kilowatt-hour increase in its June 2026 residential rate, bringing the rate to P12.30/kWh from P10.35/kWh in May. The company attributed the adjustment to higher generation charges caused by tight power supply conditions and outages of several power plants.
NORDECO, however, told consumers that there should be no confusion or fear, saying it remains recognized by its providers. It urged member-consumer-owners to continue supporting the electric cooperative by paying their power bills as it continues to deliver services.
###
