Davao Light customers told to avail of subsidy

DAVAO C ity—More than 10 percent of households in the franchise area of the Davao Light and Power Co. (Davao Light) are eligible for subsidized electricity rates, according to the company.

The Aboitiz-owned Davao Light has also encouraged them to avail of the enhanced Lifeline Rate Subsidy, pegged at the discounted and minimum amount affordable to the poor.

“In an effort to further help fellow Filipinos who belong to the marginalized sector of society, Davao Light encourages its customers to apply and avail of the lifeline rate subsidy, with its new guidelines, as provided by Republic Act [RA] 11552.”

Davao Light disclosed that around 65,000 out of more than 475,000 customers of Davao Light were eligible to apply for the subsidy. It said it started accepting applications on May 2 and would implement the new lifeline rate subsidy guidelines on August 1. The lifeline rate scheme provides a discount on the electric- ity bills of qualified marginalized or low-income customers whose monthly electricity consumption is 100 kilowatt hour or below, it said. The subsidy is based on the discount level set by the e n ergy Regulatory Commission ( e R C) and is applied to the generation, transmission, distribution, supply, metering, and systems loss charges only.

Under the new guidelines of RA 11552, those who are qualified for the subsidy are the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and those non-4Ps beneficiaries or those living below the poverty threshold established by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) as certified by the local Social Welfare Development Office (SWDO). e l igible customers will need to submit requirements and accomplish the official application form at any of Davao Light’s accredited customer service centers at NCCC Mall VP, NCCC Panacan, MS Land Bldg. in McArthur h i ghway, Canete Bldg. in Calinan, Panabo Rivera, or at Inson Bldg.

DOe Secretary Raphael Lotilla also said that the strict compliance of the private power generators with their maintenance schedule made the country’s power supply manageable. eight new generation facilities also became operational from July 2022 to June 2023, increasing the country’s installed capacity by 930.8 MW and dependable capacity by 801.6 MW.

Additional capacities from the uprating of existing power plants also contributed to the increase in installed capacity totaling 1,174 MW.

Meanwhile, the dependable capacity increased by 1,764 MW due to the return of the service of the Ilijan Power Plant.

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan

INTeR NATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said on Tuesday its Nigerian terminal is “playing an important role” in supporting the country’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) development.

According to the Filipino company, Onne Multipurpose Terminal (OMT) is supporting Nigerian LNG’s (NLNG) Train 7 expansion project at the latter’s facility in Bonny.

OMT recently facilitated the unloading of essential project modules from three vessels on Berth 10 of the Federal Ocean Terminal. The modules were securely stored in OMT’s yard and were later loaded onto barges for transport to Bonny Island.

A joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., To- tal, Shell, and eNI, the NLNG commenced operations at its Bonny facility in 1999 and currently operates six processing units—also known as trains. in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte. The documentary requirements include the customer’s recent electricity bill, valid government ID, and SWDO Certification for non-4Ps beneficiaries.

The $10-billion Train 7 expansion is aimed at increasing Nigeria’s LNG production from 22 million to 30 million tons per annum by 2027. “OMT is steadfast in its commitment to support Nigeria’s oil and gas sector and encourage economic growth by facilitating the safe and efficient movement of project cargo and other commodities at the Onne Port,” ICTSI said.

OMT is ICTSI’s cargo handling facilities in Africa. ICTSI is set to operate its fifth terminal in the continent after being selected by Transnet as the preferred partner to develop and operate Durban Container Terminal Pier 2.

Customers who are currently enjoying the lifeline rate subsidy will have to reapply to continue to receive it provided that they qualify under the new guidelines. Otherwise, the subsidy will be lifted in August.

Applications will undergo a validation process, and once confirmed, Davao Light will issue a Certification of Lifeline Coverage to the customer. The subsidy will be valid for 4Ps beneficiaries if they are included in the Department of Social Welfare’s 4Ps list. For non-4Ps beneficiaries, validity will be for three years from the issuance of certification from SWDO. They may apply for renewal two months before the expiration of their certification.

Customers may contact Davao Light through its 24/7 Customer Contact Service, or through its official Facebook page. Manuel T. Cayon