By MBrand
Mindanao's luxury convention resort. As the first and only luxury convention resort in Mindanao, Discovery Samal needs available and reliable power to welcome guests and operate its 150+ villas and suites, dining outlets, ballroom, function rooms, and resort facilities.
With its white sands and crystal waters, the Island Garden City of Samal in the Davao Gulf fits the bill of a relaxing beach escape, if not for the lackluster power situation that has held back its appeal in recent years.
The hospitality and leisure industry promises experience, comfort, and entertainment for people taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. But without stable power, the lights, air conditioning units, internet connections, hot showers, and other amenities cannot work.
An inconvenience of that scale is enough to deter any tourist.
“A lot of our services rely very much on power. In the past five or eight years, power started to become really bad, then it became worse,” observed Julian Rodriguez, owner of Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort in Samal.
With the need to power 82 rooms at full capacity set against intermittent service becoming so frequent, Rodriguez said the resort had to put up three diesel-powered generator sets and supply its expensive fuel at their own cost. “We had a gen set, then we needed a backup, and then another backup for the backup.”
Similarly, to the north of Samal, Villa Amparo Beach Resort also had to rely on generator sets—two of them to be exact—just to continue with its operations and serve its guests.
Without backup power, both beach resorts faced long and unpredictable power interruptions and risked damage to their equipment and appliances. Much worse, they risked losing their customers to other places where power availability and reliability are not an issue.
“Sometimes we have guests who are working online and then [we’re suddenly hit with a blackout],” said Villa Amparo’s Marketing Manager Aliene Pearl Condez. “It’s a really big inconvenience.”
Things have started to change.
With Republic Act No. 12144, which became law last April 2025, the franchise area of Davao Light and Power Company (Davao Light), a distribution utility company under Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), expanded to serve the Island Garden City of Samal, Tagum City, and 15 towns in Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro.
Its legality was affirmed by the Supreme Court in January 2026, which was followed by subsequent Writs of Possession issued by the local courts of Panabo and Tagum City. The Energy Regulatory Commission also granted the Provisional Authority for Davao Light’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.
As a result, Davao Light—already the third largest privately-owned distribution utility in the Philippines—will undertake the full range of electric distribution services, including system operations and maintenance, customer service, billing, and collection in the expansion areas.
Since Davao Light’s entry into Samal and amid an ongoing transition of stewardship, Condez noticed fewer and shorter power outages. She hopes that the arrival of reliable power would finally divert their operational costs for diesel to resort upgrades or staff incentives.
“I am happy and thankful to Davao Light for coming in,” Rodriguez added. “With the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge nearing completion in 2027, we expect business to pick up.”
Villa Amparo Beach Resort. Prior to Davao Light’s entry in Samal, Villa Amparo had to rely on generator sets to hedge against the long and unpredictable power interruptions and continue its operations.
The potential of Mindanao
When Jonathan Michael Bartlett assumed his current role as General Manager of Discovery Samal last January 2026, he was thrilled, citing the resort’s unique position to “showcase the unparalleled beauty and potential of Mindanao.”
“I am thrilled to join Discovery Samal at such a pivotal moment,” he said then. “My mission is to build upon the outstanding foundation already established, elevating our service to create unforgettable experiences that blend world-class luxury with the authentic, heartfelt charm of Filipino hospitality.”
But, like his predecessor, he was immediately faced with the stark reality of the power situation in the island. “We’ve had to make some decisions about operations—things that we may have to do just to make sure that we can maintain a certain level of profit.”
As the first and only luxury convention resort in Mindanao, Discovery Samal needed assurance that its 150+ luxury suites and villas, as well as its ballroom (the largest in the region) and other facilities, can be powered by electricity whenever it needed it.
When Discovery Samal opened in 2023, it coincided with a State of Calamity placed over the island due to its localized power crisis. For years, Samal has faced power distribution issues due to aging infrastructure and network maintenance concerns, with frequent outages straining households, disrupting businesses, and weakening its potential as a tourism hub.
While Discovery Samal has “always operated in optimal power”, Bartlett attributed it to six diesel-powered generator sets that they also had to finance out of pocket. Amidst a national energy emergency due to the crisis in the Middle East, fuel costs only loomed larger in their balance sheet.
Things have started to change.
As Davao Light begins its stewardship of Samal’s electric distribution assets and service, Bartlett expects reliable power, an uptick in tourism, and perhaps even the stabilization of operational costs.
A long-awaited lifeline
Submarine cable laying in the Pakiputan Strait. A team of technical experts and divers, led by AboitizPower’s Davao Light, initiate the long-awaited Davao-Samal power interconnection project—an initial step to Samal’s much needed integration into the mainland power grid.
Earlier this year, AboitizPower and Davao Light undertook an important step for energy, tourism, and economic development in Samal via the energization of a submarine cable that finally connects and integrates the resort island into the mainland power grid in Davao City.
After a rigorous cable-laying activity in the Pakiputan Strait—the first in the Company’s history—the 1,015 meter 69-kilovolt line will bring much-needed power network stability and support the growing load requirements of Samal.
At a 50-megawatt capacity, the submarine cable is more than enough to meet the island’s current 12-megawatt peak demand and provide for even more—in anticipation of more commerce, activities, and opportunities.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Island Garden City of Samal has a population of 119,701 as of the 2024 census.
“Samal is home to over 25,500 households and approximately 555 tourism-related businesses, including beach resorts and private getaways, ranging from rustic, budget-friendly sites to luxury destinations,” said Davao Light President and COO Enriczar Tia. “Davao Light is ready to serve and undertake the distribution network expansion and upgrades for the progress of businesses and communities on the island.”
For those in Samal, Davao Light’s submarine cable will not only serve as a bridgeway for electricity between two places, but it will also be a path to a new phase of development and a better future for their island.
Moreover, with the arrival of reliable power, Samal can finally claim to be a relaxing beach escape that invites—and not deters—tourists. Resort owners and managers can breathe a sigh of relief.
Things have started to change indeed.
