By Brian Campued
“Ito ang uri ng pamahalaang ating itinataguyod. Hindi dapat ang Pilipino ang naghahabol sa tulong. Ang tulong ang dapat ang lumapit sa mga Pilipino.”
Household beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will automatically be registered under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP) beginning this month to help ease the burden of electricity bills to low-income and marginalized families.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced during a tour at the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) exhibit in Pasig City on Saturday.
He lamented that the LRSP has been underutilized for a long time due to complicated requirements households need to accomplish—with only around 334,000 consumers registered under the program as of November 2025.
“[G]inawa nating simple ang patakaran. Hindi na kailangan mag-apply ng 4Ps natin, basta nasa listahan ka at pasok ang konsumo mo sa limit, may diskuwento ka sa kuryente,” the President said.
“Ngayong buwan, ipatutupad natin, kasama ng distribution utilities o DU, ang automatic registration ng lahat ng benepisyaryo ng 4Ps sa ilalim ng LRSP.”
Under the new lifeline consumption threshold, 4Ps households with monthly power consumption of 50 kilowatt-hour (kWh) or less will get a 100% discount on their electricity bills.
Low-income families, on other hand, who are not covered by 4Ps but fall under the poverty threshold and have minimal electricity consumption may still register with LRSP.
The application process for the Net-Metering Program has also been simplified, Marcos Jr. said, allowing households and businesses to install solar panels and sell excess power to the grid.
The Chief Executive noted a joint memorandum circular signed by the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), directs local government units to use a standardized application form and comply with prescribed turnaround times for key permits and certifications.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) likewise ordered DUs to complete the interconnection process within 20 working days after receiving a letter of interest.
“Sa madaling salita: Mas malinaw ang patakaran at mas mabilis ang proseso… Ito ay bahagi ng ating mas malawak na misyon—isang bansang may matatag na enerhiya, malinaw na direksiyon, at inklusibong pag-unlad,” Marcos Jr. said.
Meanwhile, the President hailed Meralco’s continued support for the administration’s national energy goals.
“From the Terra Solar Project, which will significantly expand renewable capacity through large-scale solar and battery storage, to the electrification of remote communities and supporting our net-metering and lifeline rate programs, your initiatives help many Filipinos gain access to energy,” he said.
The event at Meralco Theater highlighted One Meralco Foundation’s initiative to electrify low-income households and geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) within the Meralco franchise area using solar-powered community electrification.
-jpv
