Lawmakers want policies on electricity subsidies reviewed

Several lawmakers from the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday sought the reevaluation of existing policies on electricity subsidies following complaints from consumers on higher electricity bills. 

For Senator Bam Aquino, electricity subsidies and other mandated discounts should be funded through the national budget and not by non-beneficiary consumers, particularly low- and middle-income households.

Aquino thus filed proposed Senate Resolution No. 375, urging the Senate Committee on Energy to look into the design, targeting, and financing of the lifeline rate subsidy and other mandated electricity discounts. 

“Busisiin natin ang karagdagang bayad na ito. Marami nang naghihirap na Pilipino at middle class. Hindi na dapat dagdagan ang gastusin ng taumbayan kung may pera naman ang gobyerno para sa ayuda,” Aquino said in a statement. 

(Let’s look into these additional payments. Many Filipinos and the middle class are already suffering. These expenses should not fall on the shoulders of consumers if the government has a budget for financial assistance.) 

“Mahalagang malaman natin ang sistema ng pangongolekta at hindi ito napapasan ng mga kapwa naghihirap na kababayan natin sa middle class,” he added.

(It’s important that we know about the collection system and that it does not burden the middle class.) 

Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno also raised concerns about the “pass-through” charges collected from consumers, saying the government should review and reconsider its implementation.

He said the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and rules of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should be revisited so as not to burden consumers further. 

“Hindi tama na sisingilin ito sa consumers, lalo ngayong nasa gitna tayo ng krisis at mataas ang presyo ng bilihin at produktong petrolyo,” Diokno said. 

(It’s not right to charge this to consumers, especially now that we are in the middle of a crisis and the prices of goods and petroleum products are high.) 

Earlier, power distribution firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) clarified that itemized charges in customers’ monthly electricity bills, including senior citizen and lifeline rate subsidies, are all approved by regulators before implementation.

Meralco said some parts of the bill go to government programs that help low-income and vulnerable consumers, while other charges are used to support renewable energy projects like solar and wind to help the country shift to cleaner power.

The power distributor earlier raised rates by 53 centavos per kilowatt-hour for April 2026, resulting in an increase of about P106 in the monthly bill of a typical household consuming 200 kWh.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) committee, said both the ERC and Meralco are invited to the hearing on Wednesday, April 29, which will tackle government interventions to mitigate the impact of rising prices. 

Gatchalian stood firm that lower-income families must be given assistance amid these trying times.

“Kailangan natin tulungan ‘yung pinakamahirap namin ng kababayan. Kung hindi natin sila tutulungan, wala silang kuryente. Lalo mas mahihirapan sila sa buhay,” he said.

(We need to help the poor. If we don’t help them, they won’t have electricity and it would be more difficult for them.) 

“So, ang tulong natin sa kanila is 50 kilowatt per family. 50 kilowatt, equivalent lang ‘yan sa isang… Maliit na electric stove, at ilang ilaw lang. So, hindi malaki ‘yung tulong natin sa pinakamahirap para lang makatawid sila at mabuhay nang maayos. Dahil kung walang kuryente, hindi talaga sila mabubuhay,” he added. 

(So, our help to them is 50 kilowatts per family. 50 kilowatts – that’s equivalent to a small electric stove, and just a few lights. So, our help to the poorest is not very much just so they can get through and live well. Because without electricity, they really can’t live.) — JMA, GMA News