President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has expanded the lifeline rate program’s reach, allowing more to benefit from a discounted energy rate aside from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries.
“Upang maipababa ang presyo, pinapalawig pa natin ang lifeline rate. Bukod sa mga miyembro ng 4Ps, kasama na rin ngayon ang mga pamilyang nasa Listahanan na maliit lamang ang kinikita, at ang konsumo naman ay hindi lumalampas sa lifeline rate,” Marcos said during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The lifeline rate is charged to customers whose monthly electricity consumption reaches only 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) at most.
Meanwhile, Listahanan, also known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), identifies indigent families in order to maximize the resources distributed by social protection programs.
Besides the lifeline rate, there is a 5 percent senior citizen discount for elderly customers or households with elderly individuals, given their monthly consumption does not go beyond 100 kWh.
When Marcos assumed office as President, more than 5 million households were without electricity, he said. Within three years, his administration was able to connect supply power to 2.5 million houses.
Furthermore, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) have been tasked to aid even more households in the same way until 2028, particularly in Quezon, Camarines Norte, Palawan, Masbate, Samar, Negros Occidental, and Zamboanga del Sur.
