Davao Light Targets Phase 2 Underground Cabling Completion Before Araw ng Dabaw Festivities
The Davao Light and Power Company has announced its expectation that Phase 2 of the Ramon Magsaysay Avenue Underground Cabling Project will be finished prior to the upcoming Araw ng Dabaw celebrations. This development comes as the company navigates some minor setbacks in the project timeline.
Minor Delays and Project Scope
Fermin Edillon, head of Davao Light’s Reputation Enhancement Department, revealed that a slight delay occurred due to equipment not arriving on schedule. Despite this hiccup, the company remains optimistic about meeting the pre-festival deadline.
Phase 2 of this significant infrastructure initiative stretches from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Office to the Unity Archway at the junction of Magsaysay Avenue and Quezon Boulevard. Following this segment, the project will progress along C. Bangoy Street (formerly Ponciano Reyes Street) and eventually extend to Quirino Avenue, as detailed by Edillon.
Overall Project Progress and Historical Context
Engr. Enriczar Tia, Davao Light president and chief operating officer, provided an update on the downtown underground cabling initiative, stating it is now more than 50 percent complete. The remaining areas to be covered include Ponciano–Pelayo and Quirino Avenue, marking continued progress in this long-term modernization effort.
Edillon noted that the overall timeline has been affected by delays related to the Covid-19 pandemic, requiring ongoing adjustments. "Naga-adjust pa pud ta sa timeline, wala pa ta kay naga-review pa ta ug balik (We are still adjusting the schedule; we don’t have a final date yet because we are reviewing it again)," he explained during a press briefing on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
National Interest and Regulatory Framework
Since the project’s inception, it has attracted attention from various local government units (LGUs) across the Philippines. Representatives from Metro Manila and the Ilocos Region have visited Davao City to study the initiative, exploring possibilities for replication in their own jurisdictions.
The underground cabling project is mandated under City Ordinance No. 0177-14, which was authored in 2014 by the late Councilor Leonardo Avila. This ordinance requires the relocation of electrical and telecommunications wires underground as a key component of Davao City’s broader modernization and urban development strategy.
Project History and Future Phases
The first phase of this ambitious project commenced in 2016 near City Hall and the Sangguniang Panlungsod. In March 2023, Davao Light inaugurated the initial segment of five planned phases along San Pedro Street, covering 0.6 kilometers from City Hall to Quirino Avenue.
Four months later, in a collaborative effort, the city government and Davao Light broke ground for Phase 2 along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue. The first phase of the avenue’s underground cabling was successfully switched on April 14, 2025, demonstrating steady advancement toward the project’s ultimate completion.
