By ANTONIO L. COLINA IV MindaNews

DAVAO City — The provincial government of Davao del Norte lauded the filing of House Bill 6740 seeking to expand the franchise area of the Aboitizowned Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to eight additional areas.

Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib, in a statement on Tuesday, said that the proposed measure is a “necessary piece of legislation” to address the perennial problem of power supply and exorbitant power rates encountered by residents of the province.

“HB 6740, if enacted into law, is a major milestone for the province of Davao del Norte as the expansion of the energy services provided by Davao Light will bring about a positive change to the lives of our constituents, providing them with reliable and efficient power supply,” he said.

He added that this would lead to a more sustainable and productive environment, driving economic growth and development in the province.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed HB 10554, which sought to amend Republic Act 11515, extending for another 25 years the franchise granted to DLPC.

HB 10554 would have placed Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal, and the municipalities of Asuncion, Kapalong, New Corella, San Isidro, and Talaingod under the franchise area of DLPC.

These areas are being serviced by the North Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORDECO), which has an existing franchise for the mainland until 2028 and Samal until 2033.

In her explanatory note, Nograles said HB 6740 would seek to expand the franchise of DLPC by including those same areas in the vetoed bill, and the municipality of Maco in the Davao de Oro in the jurisdiction of DLPC.

DLPC currently services Davao City, Panabo City, and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali, and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte.