DOE: Few takers for lifeline discount
MANILA, Philippines — Only around 4.6 percent of the projected household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps will avail themselves of the electricity lifeline rate this month.
There were only 191,399 4Ps beneficiaries who registered for the program as of Dec. 15, 2023, Luningning Baltazar, director of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau of the Department of Energy (DOE), said in a television interview, citing data from the Energy Regulatory Commission.
“Based on the list from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, we have 4.2 million 4Ps members. If we assume that every 4Ps member has electric service under their name or using electric service in their household, we expect 4.2 million to register,” Baltazar said.
Full implementation of the lifeline rate program, which gives discounts in the electricity bills of qualified poor households, started on Jan. 1.
“If they were able to register, the discount is automatic as long as their consumption is within the threshold,“ Baltazar said. “When they receive the bill this January, as long as their consumption is lower than the threshold, the discount will be automatically reflected in their electricity bill.”
Only 4Ps and non-4Ps members who consume no more than 100 kilowatt-hours a month and have registered with their respective distribution utilities can avail themselves of the subsidy.
The subsidy is provided under Republic Act (RA) 11552 or An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate, amending Section 73 of RA 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act.
“We still encourage them to register,” Baltazar said.
She cited several possible reasons why many 4Ps beneficiaries did not avail themselves of the program: unregistered 4Ps beneficiaries have no individual meters, find the threshold small, or are not aware of the lifeline program.
The DOE reminded distribution utilities to continue accepting and processing applications for the electricity subsidy.
Disseminating information on the benefits of the program should also be continued, the department said.
