Pangasinan: A total of 1,227 member-consumers of the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Cenpelco) are enjoying a full discount on their electricity bills as of April under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program. Rosalinda Cabuang of Barangay Malaca±ang, San Carlos City, Pangasinan, one of the qualified beneficiaries and a member of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps), said she is grateful for the program as the amount her family saves is used for other needs.
According to Philippines News Agency, with three light bulbs and two electric fans, her family consumed 35 kilowatt-hours (kWh) in their March 17 to April 17 billing, which translates to a PHP408 electric bill. "Malaking tulong talaga sa amin (It is really a big help)," she said in an interview. Her husband works as a part-time construction worker while she sometimes does laundry for other people to earn additional income.
Under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program, qualified member-consumers of Cenpelco who are beneficiaries consuming below 50 kWh in electricity will enjoy a full discount. Cenpelco General Manager Rodrigo Corpuz, in a recent interview, said an estimated 2,000 qualified 4Ps beneficiaries are registered in the program within their jurisdiction as of February, and the number is expected to increase following the information drive campaign and validation.
The lifeline rate is a "subsidy on monthly electricity bills" granted to low-income households and marginalized end-users that have difficulty paying their electricity bills at full cost, as provided under Section 73 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). Republic Act 11552 (Expanded Lifeline Rate Law) further strengthened this social protection mechanism by clearly identifying qualified beneficiaries, including households covered by the 4Ps.
"While registration under the program is automatic, the actual grant of the lifeline subsidy remains subject to compliance with the monthly electricity consumption threshold set by the Energy Regulatory Commission," Corpuz said. Meanwhile, Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino said this program would greatly benefit the poor.
"It is the mandate of government to ensure that services are being given to those who have less opportunities. As they say, the law, the government should be a great equalizer to ensure that the services of government will still reach those who don't have access to those resources. And whoever has the least resources should be given the most benefits. The government is supposed to be the great equalizer when it comes to social opportunities," he said in a separate interview.
At the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the DSWD will continue to bridge 4Ps beneficiaries to the programs and services of other government agencies or private institutions to ensure they do not slide back to poverty.
