Vice President Leni Robredo is proposing a three-step solution to address the electricity problems and power outages in the Bicol region and the rest of the country. What are they? Read on.
In an interview with Radyo Veritas on Wednesday, March 2, the Vice President noted the constant power outages and high cost of electricity in her home province of Bicol.
Her three-pronged proposal is for the government to subsidize the distribution and systems loss charges, fix the local electric cooperatives, and develop renewable and alternative sources of energy.
Subsidies
Robredo wants to review the Value Added Tax (VAT) law regarding electric charges because there are components of electric power that have “no value added” to consumers.
She will also push to subsidize distribution and systems loss because this will result in a P600 reduction in the average monthly power bill of consumers.
“Madali sabihin na aayusin ko yung kuryente, pababain ko ‘yung presyo at mga politiko sinasabi iyon pero again, paano mo gagawin ‘yun (It’s easy to say that I will fix electricity, I will lower the price and all politicians will say that but again, how are you going to do that)?,” the Vice President asked.
“So, sa akin, yung number 1, pricing. Yun components ng cost kailangan talaga nating balikan (So, for me, number one is pricing. We need to review the components of the cost),” she added.
Electric cooperatives
The Vice President is also against the privatization of electric cooperatives, an organization of which, the 121-member Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (PHILRECA), endorsed her presidential bid.
READ: Robredo gets support of electric cooperatives nationwide
“Kung may problema ‘yung mga electric cooperatives dapat tulungan ng pamahalaan...isa ito sa mga sandata para ‘yung consumers pa din ang may-ari (If the electric cooperatives have a problem, the government should help...this is one of the weapons so consumers are still the owners),” she said during the Catholic E-Forum.
“Kapag consumers kasi iyong may-ari, hindi siya negosyo. Kasi pag naging negosyo sya mas magiging mahal iyong kuryente kasi pinagkakakitaan na (When the consumers are the owners, it’s not a business. When it becomes a business, the electricity costs more because it becomes profitable),” Robredo added.
Of the hundreds of electric cooperatives in the country, only seven have problems, she said, adding that this is not reason enough to curtail them of their rights.
Alternative sources of energy
Robredo also warned against the problems in power sources by 2024, which is why the government should focus on looking for other sources of energy.
The aspiring president will prioritize approving the pending applications for service contracts.
“Paubos na iyong ating Malampaya source na energy. Pero until now, hindi pa natin iyon pinaghahandaan (The Malampaya source of energy is almost depleted. But until now, we are not yet ready for it),” she said.
Robredo will also create a roadmap toward a “carbon neutral” Philippines, a commitment the country made to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), by first retiring the coal plants.