Manila: Beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are automatically registered under the electricity subsidy for low-consumption households program as mandated by Republic Act No. 11552 or the Expanded Lifeline Rate Law, and given a 100 percent discount under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP).
According to Philippines News Agency, DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao stated in a televised interview that 4Ps beneficiaries are automatically registered under this program and will receive a 100 percent discount if their monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 50 kilowatt hours. Dumlao further explained that if consumption exceeds 50 kWh, beneficiaries will still receive discounts provided by the distribution utilities in their area.
The lifeline rate is a subsidy on monthly electricity bills granted to low-income households and marginalized end-users who struggle to pay their electricity bills at full cost, as outlined under Section 73 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). The Expanded Lifeline Rate Law further enhances this social protection mechanism by clearly identifying qualified beneficiaries, including households covered by the 4Ps.
While registration under the LRSP 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 (ERC). The ERC has established a national lifeline consumption threshold of 0 to 50 kWh, entitling qualified marginalized end-users to a 100 percent discount on applicable electricity charges within this range. For distribution utilities with existing ERC-approved thresholds above 50 kWh, the current discount structures for higher consumption levels will continue to apply.
Under the Supplementary and Amendatory Framework for the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), all qualified 4Ps beneficiaries included in the latest DSWD-certified list shall be automatically registered under the LRSP, subject to data matching with customer records of distribution utilities. Following the instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the DSWD will continue to connect 4Ps beneficiaries to programs and services of other government agencies or private institutions to ensure they do not fall back into poverty.
The 4Ps is a national poverty reduction strategy and human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfers to poor households for a maximum period of seven years to improve their children's health, nutrition, and education.
