Gatchalian wants P1/kWh more for lifeline consumers amid persistent high inflation rates
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday, March 19 urged the government to provide an additional subsidy of P1/kWh for low-income consumers or a total of P418-million to further cushion the adverse impact of high commodity prices.
Gatchalian made the proposal amid the persistent high inflation rates, saying the amount can be sourced from the general appropriations fund for 2023.
The senator said that with the additional P1/kWh from the government, lifeline consumers can save an average of P296.67 per month, enough amount that can buy a family 7.5 kilos of rice.
“Tayo’y natutuwa na maraming mga kababayan natin ang natutulungan ng isinulong nating batas na electricity lifeline rate (We are glad that many of our countrymen are benefitting from the electricity lifeline rate law that we have promoted),” Gatchalian said.
“Pero mas matutulungan pa natin sila kung dadagdagan natin ang maitatabi nilang pera para sa iba pa nilang bayarin habang patuloy na mataas ang inflation rate sa bansa (But we can help them even more if we increase the money they can save for their other bills while the inflation rate in the country continues to be high,” added the senator.
With the effectivity of the Lifeline Rate Extension Act, primarily authored by Gatchalian, a lifeliner in Metro Manila was able to save an average of P194.36 in February last year and even as high as P223.34 in February this year, an increase of 14.91 percent due to high inflation rates.
According to the lawmaker, the lifeline rate subsidy has provided much relief for 4.181 million households identified as beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) across the country.
Under Republic Act 11552, or an Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate, 4Ps beneficiaries need to consume not more than 100-kilowatt hours of electricity per month to avail of the subsidy.
Of the total number of beneficiaries, 209,210 households are in the National Capital Region (NCR).