Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Secretary Leo Tereso A. Magno assured Davao City Councilor Danny Dayanghirang that the concerns of Dabawenyos over rising electricity costs would be conveyed to the national government following the councilor’s appeal during Tuesday’s regular session of the Davao City Council.
Responding to Dayanghirang’s remarks, Magno gave a brief assurance.
“Makakarating,” Magno told Edge Davao.
Dayanghirang raised the appeal after the Department of Energy-Mindanao Field Office presented an update on Mindanao’s power supply before the City Council.
The councilor stressed that public officials, regardless of political affiliation, should work together to ease the burden of rising electricity costs on consumers.
“We may have different views and different ways of thinking because public officials are elected to separate offices. However, in public service, the people must always come first,” Dayanghirang said.
He noted that consumers shoulder several charges in their electricity bills, including transmission charges, system loss charges, and adjustment charges, which add to the financial burden of ordinary households, particularly low-income families.
Dayanghirang then appealed to fellow Mindanao leaders, including officials of MinDA, to help bring the issue before the national government.
“As public officials, it is our duty to serve our constituents. We may belong to different political groups or have different personal relationships, but public service should never be influenced by political friendship or party affiliation,” he said.
“I am therefore appealing to those with access to the national leadership to use their influence and authority to help address the rising cost of electricity. Those who are close to the President may be well-positioned to bring this concern to the appropriate agencies and decision-makers,” he added.
He pointed out that there are public officials from Mindanao, including Magno and Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto “Anton” Lagdameo Jr., whom he urged to help bring the issue of rising electricity costs to the attention of the national leadership.
He emphasized that the issue should not be viewed through a political lens but as a matter affecting consumers across Mindanao.
“This issue should not be treated as a partisan matter. The objective must be to help bring electricity prices down and ease the burden on consumers,” Dayanghirang said.
Citing figures discussed during the council session, he said electricity rates in some areas have reached around P15 per kilowatt-hour, while Davao City’s rate is about P13 per kilowatt-hour.
“Although Davao’s rate may be lower than some electric cooperatives’, it remains expensive for poor households. In other provinces, electricity prices have also continued to increase. This shows that high power costs are a wider concern that requires sustained attention from both local and national officials,” he said.
“We must continue working together until practical measures are introduced to make electricity more affordable for the public,” Dayanghirang added.
