Malacañang said Congress should revisit the country’s lifeline rate system to ensure a fair and balanced distribution of electricity subsidies, amid growing concerns from consumers over rising power bills.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said this as Meralco consumers reported noticeable increases in their electricity bills.

In her press briefing on Thursday, April 30, Castro said the current setup, where discounts for marginalized sectors are partly subsidized by other electricity consumers, may need reassessment.

“Siguro ang pinakamaganda rito, mabusising muli ng Kongreso kung ano ang nararapat para magkaroon tayo ng balanced na pagtulong sa ating mga kababayan (Perhaps the best course is for Congress to thoroughly review what is appropriate so we can achieve a balanced way of helping our people),” she said.

The lifeline rate is a government-mandated subsidy that provides discounted electricity rates to low-income households, including beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Under the current system, the cost of these discounts is not shouldered directly by the government but is spread across other electricity consumers through additional charges in their bills.

This setup is part of broader socialized pricing mechanisms in the power sector.

With the rising electric bills amid the rising temperatures and the ongoing energy crisis, many consumers pointed out the presence of lifeline and other subsidy-related charges in their statements, prompting questions about who should bear the cost.

Some users on social media argued that the government—not paying consumers—should be funding assistance for marginalized sectors.

Castro noted that the lifeline rate is not new and has been in place for decades.

“Matagal na po itong batas… nagsimula pa noong 2001 (This law has been around for a long time… it started in 2001),” she said.

The policy was introduced during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and has since been extended by succeeding administrations, including those of former presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte.

Castro said the program has evolved and expanded through the years, with its implementation extended up to 50 years under recent amendments.