President Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Department of Energy (DOE) to continue with the "no-disconnection” policy for lifeliners or low-income consumers of electricity until the end of the month.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles made the announcement as some consumers got their power lines disconnected after the order for distribution utilities (DUs) to observe the no-disconnection policy expired on January 1.
In his virtual presser on Thursday morning, Nograles said President Duterte "readily approved" the recommendation made by the DOE during their Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, January 3, to continue the no-disconnection policy for lifeliners.
"In the Cabinet meeting yesterday, the Department of Energy recommended to the President that this no disconnection policy for lifeliners be continued. The President readily agreed given that electricity is a basic necessity our countrymen cannot live without," Nograles said.
"Kaya po makakhinga na po nang malalim ang ating mga kababayan na mababa o walang kita. Hindi po kayo mapuputulan ng kuryente (Our low-income earners and those who are not earning can now let out a sigh of relief. Your electricity will not be disconnected)," he added.
Duterte likewise approved the extension of the grace period given to lifeliners for another two months. Lifeliners will be allowed to pay in installments.
Lifeliners, according to ERC Commissioner Agnes Devanadera, are customers who consume 200-kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity monthly.
However, the ERC has set different threshold levels for different DUs. For Meralco, lifeline consumers are defined as "low-income customers and senior citizens who consume up to 100 kWh in a given month."
According to Nograles, President Duterte made the decision to approve DOE's recommendation because a lot of people are still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Just as our kababayans (countrymen) have had to adapt to the pandemic, so has the government taken steps to help our countrymen cope with the challenges it presents," he said.
According to the DOE, while lifeliners comprise 32 percent of the customer base, they only account for three percent of electricity sales, making the move "very doable".