Davao City and Electric Power (Part 2)

In 1991, Alfonso Ybanez was the President and Chief operating officer. From 2003 to 2008, Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) was one of the first utilities to have a fully computerized automatic delivery system. This very technical systematic tool saved Davao City. Linked to worldwide technical scientific forecasting groups, Aboitiz predicted that there will be a long El Niño drought from 2013 to 2016. DLPC kept the Bajada Power Station and two power barges in good condition expecting the worse.

For the first time since 1972, DLPC supplied power to Davao City and covered the power shortages of Maria Cristina and Pulangi. Mindanao’s power collapse was saved by DLPC’s foresight. Since January 2023 the government had been warning about a long El Niño drought which would choke Mindanao’s power and water. DLPC and Davao City Water District (DCWD) are prepared for this double kill. First an Aboitiz owned water firm called Apo Agua in 2016 started building the Panigan Tamugan river weir dam and laid out the pipelines to reach Sasa, Panacan, Lapanday, Buhangin etc.

DCWD had been supplying the best drinking water in our nation since 1973 using 44 wells from the Dumoy Toril Aquifer. The Panigan Tamugan water project is now working. The 2 systems will give Davao City enough water even if El Niño lasts up to 2030. The 200 MW Aboitiz Binugao Power Plant was opened by Pres. Noynoy Aquino in 2015. It supplies all the power of Davao City plus Panabo, Carmen and Sto. Tomas.

Davao City has 5 back up power sources 1. Bajada and 2 Power Barges, 2. San Miguel Corporation’s 200 Megawatt Malita Davao del Sur Coal Power Plant, 3. Alcantara’s 200 Megawatt Sarangani Coal Power Plant, 4. ABS CBN Lopez owned 130 Megawatt geothermal Plant in Kidapawan North Cotabato, and 5. Pulangi’s 200 Megawatt, Plant in Pulangi Bukidnon.

All 5 plants are within a 150 kilometers radius of City Hall. National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Department of Energy rated the 162 utilities giving electricity to the nation. DLPC is number 7 out of 162 utilities with the lowest power bill per kilowatt, lower than Meralco and Visco (Cebu).

Last June 2, 2023 the Mindanao NGCP switched on the 100 megavolt ampere transformer of its Toril Substation, the first in the nation. The 5 other Mindanao substations: 1. Agus 2. Placer 3. Pitogo 4. Naga Min 5. General Santos might be opened in 2024. Business and industry want cheap abundant electricity, water and modern telecom system.