Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) Mayor Al David Uy on Friday bared that the local government unit (LGU) of Samal is willing to broker and pave the way for Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (NORDECO) Inc. and the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to work together in addressing the power crisis in the island.
Uy’s message to the two electric utilities is for them to work together wherein the LGU can utilize Nordeco’s substation of its stalled submarine cable and tap to Davao Light’s substation in Doña Pilar, Sasa in its plan to establish its own submarine cable.
“My message is that let’s work together, we’ll use some substations, we’ll tap into Davao Light. Let us meet halfway. We need Nordeco and we need DLPC para mahatagan mi ug long-term solution sa power crisis,” Uy said in a presser held at Club Samal in IGaCoS on Friday.
Uy said they already have an initial talk with Nordeco and Davao Light and he is hopeful that it will progress.
“Mao lang na ang gina-ampo nako,” he said.
Nordeco’s P1.1 billion, 14.7-kilometer submarine cable project, which will connect Barangay Aundanao in IGaCoS, to the Pantukan grid, is expected to address power interruptions in the island.
In March last year, Nordeco announced the project would be operational by April last year. However, currently, there are no updates reported yet about the project.
“Last time sila (Nordeco) nagsulti nga ang completion was in 2023 if I am not mistaken gisulti na 75 percent na and that was more than a year ago. Before mag end daw ang 2023 all systems go, but until now wala’y update,” he said.
According to the mayor, Nordeco’s substation in Brgy. San Miguel in Samal is also not operational.
Uy said this is also where the city wants to coordinate and tap with Nordeco since they are not using the substation.
“Naa sila’y (Nordeco) gihimo diri na substation pero wala migana. Ang sa city, diri ta mag connect sa atubangan. Makig-alayon mi sa Nordeco para maka menos menos i-tap na lang namo ning wala nila nagamit na substation diri sa Brgy. San Miguel. Kung kaloy-an, diri mi magconnect sa Davao katong karaan na submarine cable diri sa may Doña Pilar, which is more or less two kilometers,” he said.
He said the city is looking at allocating P300 million for the establishment of the submarine cable.
He also said they are looking at every possible way to procure a submarine cable through Public Private Partnership (PPP) and financing.
Uy said, looking at the financial status of the city, they can afford to procure a submarine cable.
“Isip amahan sa syudad ug pinili na mga lideres, kinahanglan namo ang malungtaron nga solusyon sa problema sa kuryente. Nakita na nato naglihok na ang katumanan sa Samal Island, ang Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) bridge naa na. Isa ni sa ginapangandaman namo, ug muabot ang tulay by 2028, ug dili pa makorek ang kuryente, dako na nga problema,” he said.
Uy said they are appealing to the national government to help the local government of Samal in addressing power woes on the island.
“Niagi na lang ug senate hearing apan wala gihapon update. Mao na naka-desisyon mi nga maningkamot na lang mi ug amo diri. Makaya man namo,” he said.
Uy said removing the franchise of Nordeco in Samal is not easy because the cooperative still has a congressional franchise, which will expire in 2033.
Uy also apologized to his constituents for failing to address the power problem.
“Ang inyuhang mga local leaders limitado sa puwede namong mahimo. Apan naa ra gyud na sa national specially Congress. Samal has a lot of opportunities, sayang. Pero mangayo ra mi ug pasaylo, pasensya nga wala gyud,” he said.
