Philippines
National
Hontiveros seeks Senate probe into gov't failure to reduce power costs
Hontiveros seeks Senate probe into gov't failure to reduce power costs
Senator Risa Hontiveros has urged the Senate to probe the failure of the government to bring down the cost of electricity rates in the country 20 years after the enactment of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act or the EPIRA Law.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 746, Hontiveros said it is imperative for the Upper Chamber to investigate the deficiencies and failures of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) in bringing down power rates in the country.
Hontiveros also said a Senate probe will also help determine if it is feasible to reduce electricity rates by at least P2 per kilowatt-hour. Philippine electricity rates, she noted, are way above its ASEAN neighbors.
“Every year, there is always a threat and actual rotational blackouts and electricity rates continue to increase. The purpose and promise of EPIRA to provide cheaper electricity and better service has never materialized,” the senator lamented.
“We need to know who was remiss and those who neglected their duties should be held accountable. This is not just about the inconvenience to household consumers but it also impedes economic recovery and does not sustain the distance education of our youth,” she pointed out.
Aside from the expensive cost, power consumers are also saddled with the perennial problems of power interruptions due to diminishing supply, system inefficiencies and high dependence on fossil fuel.
“Absent substantial rate reduction, EPIRA and its implementing agencies cannot claim any significant milestone 20 years after its enactment,” she said.
“The law was supposed to restructure the country’s power industry but apparently, we’re still confronted with basic cost and supply issues. There’s no progress,” she noted.
The lawmaker said a review of the implementation of the EPIRA is vital now especially since the prices of food, transportation and utilities continue to shoot up and weigh heavily on Filipino households especially during this pandemic.
“Filipinos deserve no less than uninterrupted and reliable supply of electricity at reasonable prices which EPIRA, through DOE and ERC, promised,” she said.
“Now that our people are experiencing a major crisis, I hope we don’t allow the issues hounding our power sector to be a ‘rotational’ problem. Let’s put an end to this once and for all,” Hontiveros reiterated.