DAVAO CITY—The Aboitiz-owned Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. has energized 95 percent of the villages within its target area under its electrification program, which it aims to complete by 2023.
The company said it has a total target of 3,868 sitios to be energized within its franchise area covering Davao City, Panabo City, and the Davao del Norte municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas under its Sitio Electrification Program (SEP). As of September, it said 113 more sitios were newly energized. The company said it hopes to energize by the end of the year an additional 14 sitios where it is currently installing electric posts and wire connections.
According to Rodger S. Velasco, president and chief operating officer of Davao Light, “the company strives to complete the program [SEP] by 2023”.
“As directed by the Department of Energy, Davao Light envisions having the remaining unenergized areas to be completed by 2023. We’ve been working hard since late 2020 since operations were halted due to the pandemic,” he said.
“Electrification is among the government’s priorities as it is geared towards economic growth. It aims to increase and accelerate access to electricity services in the country’s remote and far-flung unelectrified communities which provide opportunities of improved quality of life.”
The company also reported that a new 69 kiloVoltage sub-transmission line was recently built and completed to improve power quality and reliability in the southern areas of Davao City specifically, in Maa, Ecoland, Matina, Bangkal, and Ulas.
Davao Light’s newest 69 kV sub-transmission line was installed from New Valencia, Tugbok to its Maa Substation, passing through Magtuod.
Sub-transmission lines are power lines that transmit power from the grid to the distribution substations. With voltages ranging from 69 kV to 138 kV, these facilities distribute substantial amounts of power to different areas across the franchise.
With the new sub-transmission line, additional capacity would be delivered and the existing 69 kV line serving the area would be relieved of loading constraints. “This will result in reduced voltage loss along the line and sufficient power flow to meet existing electric system demand during planned and unplanned outages.”
“We plan to modify some of our poles to install ‘typhoon-proofing’ units to make it more robust and dependable,” said Davao Light Network Planning and Design Department Head Chad Ramos.
The company said the franchise area would expect “new line developments in the future to achieve more resilient grids”.