Four more Davao del Norte villages energized

DAVAO CITY—MORE than 60 households in four sitios of an interior barangay in Davao del Norte finally saw light after a long time as the Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. ramped up its rural electrification coverage.

Salvador Coco, barangay chairman of Magsaysay of Carmen town, identified the areas as Puroks 4A, 4B, 4B - Area 2.

The four sitios were now completely energized as part of the Sitio Electrification Program (SEP) of Davao Light, the municipal government Carmen, and the Department of Energy-region 11.

Davao Light quoted a resident and also the head of Barangay Peace and Order, Benedicto Nalzaro, as saying the electrification program helped the residents feel safer in their homes and community, “We are really happy that we now have electricity. We feel more at ease in our homes because it’s well-lighted.

He said many residents are employed in big companies, banana plantations, and farms, “and there is really a big difference now that the streets are well-lighted. Residents feel more at ease when going to and from work.”

Nalzaro said the new electricity connection would now address the technological gap among their students, especially on the use of gadgets and the internet. “Before, students would need to go to the library or to an internet shop in the energized parts of the municipality if they needed to research their assignments. Now, they can use their cellphones and connect to the internet at home,” Nalzaro said.

“We thank Davao Light and the Department of Energy because there won’t be much progress in Carmen without electricity. Every business— whether industrial or small—needs electricity,” said Jerry Nalupa of the Carmen municipal government during the switch-on ceremony conducted at the barangay hall early this month.

Representatives from the local government unit (LGU) of Carmen, Davao del Norte, and Davao Light formalized the completion of the sitio electrification project in Barangay Magsaysay during the switch-on ceremony.

“Thanks to the support of the LGU of Carmen, we were able to fast track the Sitio Electrification Project to three months. That’s how fast electrification is now,” said Jerome Ryan Deleonio, head of the Distribution Services Department of Davao Light.

As of early last year, the Davao Light reported that it has energized the households of 500,000 families to hit 99.02 percent of its target under SEP.

The company started its rural electrification program in 2018 for its franchise area covering Davao City, Panabo City, and the other Davao del Norte municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Santo Tomas.