Various groups and industry stakeholders are calling for policy changes that help bring down electricity rates at the hearing convened by the Senate Committee on Energy on Thursday. The Department of Energy confirmed earlier this week that power rates average P12.43 per kilowatt-hour in June, the highest across all 11 ASEAN member states, and slightly higher than Singapore’s for the same month.
The Center for Energy, Ecology and Development urged authorities to suspend and prohibit pass-through charges that drive up consumer bills. Deputy executive director Avril De Torres explained that these clauses in power supply agreements allow generation firms to pass volatile fuel costs and foreign exchange differences directly to users, and called for a full audit of these contract provisions and actual amounts charged to consumers.
Data presented showed Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative recorded the highest residential rate at P16.57 per kWh, a 32 percent rise from May, followed by Northern Samar Electric Cooperative at P15.72 per kWh and Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative at P14.53 per kWh. Manila Electric Company placed fourth at P14.48 per kWh with a minimal 1 percent increase, while Leyte IV Electric Cooperative ranked fifth after a 38 percent jump to P14.46 per kWh.
Senate Energy Committee chairman Erwin Tulfo stressed the urgent need for actionable solutions to make electricity more affordable. The Energy Regulatory Commission also backed pending legislative measures to restructure the agency, noting that greater budget flexibility and exemptions would help it offer competitive pay to attract and retain top technical and regulatory talent. ERC chairman Francis Saturnino Juan clarified this was not a request for general budget increases, but targeted support to strengthen oversight, alongside proposed rules requiring public disclosure of performance metrics, case resolution timelines and backlog reduction targets to boost accountability.
Meralco senior vice president Jose Ronald Valles meanwhile stated most cost pressures were beyond the utility’s control, pointing to rising global fuel prices and peso depreciation linked to tensions in the Middle East. He assured lawmakers that all power procurement follows strict government bidding rules set by the DOE and ERC, designed to ensure fair competition and the lowest possible rates for consumers.
