Iloilo city: More household members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are expected to benefit from the Expanded Lifeline Rate Program, which was formally launched here on Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the program offers a 100 percent discount on electricity bills for households with a monthly consumption of 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or less. Discounts also apply to higher consumption levels, with a sliding scale offering 45 percent for 51 kWh to 60 kWh, 35 percent for 61 kWh to 70 kWh, 20 percent for 71 kWh to 80 kWh, and 10 percent for 81 kWh to 95 kWh.
Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary Marites Maristela highlighted the enhanced inclusivity of the program, noting its integration with the 4Ps database. This improvement replaces the previous manual process. As of February 12, approximately 36,000 of the 320,000 beneficiaries nationwide hail from Western Visayas. Maristela emphasized that all qualified 4Ps beneficiaries in the Department of Social Welfare and Development's certified list are automatically registered, pending data matching with their respective distribution utilities. Western Visayas has 149,896 4Ps members who automatically qualify for the program.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin urged beneficiaries to monitor their energy consumption to continue receiving benefits. She noted that efficient energy use, such as unplugging devices when not in use, could be financially rewarding, given the electricity rate of PHP10 per kWh. Garin remarked that a 50-kWh limit suffices for running basic appliances, such as an electric fan, television, and gadget charger, provided they are used wisely.
In a subsequent interview, Garin mentioned plans to collaborate with distribution utilities to educate consumers on energy consumption. She acknowledged the absence of current technology to assist in this educational effort effectively.
The launch event was attended by officials from the Department of Energy, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Iloilo City, and More Electric Power Corp. Garin expressed her enthusiasm for launching the program in her home province and city, stating that this was the first implementation outside of Meralco. She anticipated that the streamlined and automatic process would eventually benefit around one to two million 4Ps beneficiaries.
Additionally, Garin inaugurated the program in the Municipality of Guimbal on Friday morning.
