“Help poorest constituents in qualifying for electricity lifeline rate subsidy.”
This was the call of Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president and Quirino Governor Dax Cua to his fellow leaders to help ensure that millions of the country’s most vulnerable households benefit from the program that grants a 100-percent discount on electricity charges.
“Amid the high prices due to the continued conflict in the Middle East, the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program could be a big help to our struggling constituents.”
According to the Department of Energy, households of at least five members that have a combined monthly income of P12,030 are also eligible for the lifeline rate.
Ang matitipid nila sa kuryente ay maaaring idagdag sa pambili ng pagkain at iba pang mahalagang gastusin,” Cua said.
According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, an estimated 4.5 million Filipino households could benefit from the LRSP, which provides free electric coverage to qualified households that consume up to 50 kilowatt-hours per month.
The LRSP is a result of Republic Act No. 11552 or the Expanded Lifeline Rate Law.
Earlier this year, the government announced the automatic registration of beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to the LRSP.
The move was a response to low registration numbers in the program, as only around 334,000 consumers are registered under the LRSP, or only about 11 percent of the around three million beneficiaries of the 4Ps.
Cua said that with the automatic registration of 4Ps beneficiaries, local government units could focus on other households that are qualified to the lifeline rate that are outside the scope of 4Ps.
“Using the ERC’s numbers, that would still be around 1.5 million households below the poverty threshold that could receive a big boost from having to pay zero in their electric bills,” the governor said.
According to the Department of Energy, households of at least five members that have a combined monthly income of P12,030 are also eligible for the lifeline rate.
