(Island Garden City of Samal, 15 December 2023).  The Regional Development Council (RDC) XI formalized its partnership with the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental and the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the implementation of projects funded under the Energy Regulations (ER) No. 1-94 Program as per Department Circular (DC) Nos. 2018-08-0021 and its Supplemental Policy Issuances. The Signing Ceremony was conducted as a side-event to the RDC XI’s 4th Quarter 2023 Meeting at the Discovery Samal Resort in the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte. 

The ER 1-94 issued by the Department of Energy (DOE ER 1-94) is the implementing rules and regulations of Section 5 (i) of the DOE Act of 1992 (RA 7638) which provides that the DOE shall “devise ways and means of giving direct benefits to the province, city, or municipality, especially the community and people affected, and equitable preferential benefit to the region that hosts the energy resource and/or energy-generating facility”. The objectives of this policy are to recognize the contributions made by the affected people and communities, lessen the conflict of rights, and promote harmony and cooperation among the LGUs/Regions and the energy resource developers and/or power producers. 

A total of 11 projects (9 for Davao Oriental and 2 for Davao del Norte) shall be funded under the Region’s share of the ER 1-94 Development and Livelihood Fund (DLF) from the Aboitiz Power Subsidiaries. The implementation of these projects is bounded by the provisions outlined in the MOA for the beneficiaries who are mostly farmers and members of various cooperatives. 

Present during the signing ceremony were RDC XI Acting Chairperson Arturo M. Milan; Vice-Chairperson and NEDA XI Regional Director Maria Lourdes D. Lim; Davao Oriental Governor Niño Sotero L. Uy, Jr.; PPDC Freddie C. Bendulo; Davao del Norte Provincial Administrator Engr. Josie Jean R. Rabanoz; PPDC Engr. Maria Hazel C. Zafra; Chief Economic Development Specialist Mario M. Realista; Atty.  Alona Suzell Ruyeras-Borromeo and Jane Floresca of Aboitiz Power; and the staff of the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division (PMED) of NEDA XI.  

Arniel A. Alderite, NEDA XI