The Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday reiterated the registration of beneficiaries under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to avail of the subsidized electricity program does not have a strict deadline.
However, it said registration is required to continue to enjoy discounts on their monthly bills starting September this year.
Luningning Baltazar, director at DOE’s Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, said only a fraction or 12,900 of the 4.2 million registered 4Ps nationwide have complied and registered with the various distribution utilities as of end-July this year.
“Availing the discount is subject to registration. If you are not registered by August, the billing you will receive for September or October will be the actual amount that you need to pay and has no discount. However, since this program is until 2025, registration will continue. Even if the targeted implementation will start by September, they can register anytime,” Baltazar said.
The DOE earlier said 4Ps beneficiaries need to apply and register with the DUs to enjoy discounts.
The agency said, for instance, that lifeline end-users within the Meralco franchise area with zero to 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of monthly consumption will be granted 100 percent discount on generation charges, including system loss, transmission and distribution component of their bill except for the fixed metering charge of P5, which means they will only pay more or less P20 in their monthly electric bills.
Other marginalized applicants who are not 4Ps beneficiaries but whose households have at least five members with a combined monthly income of P12,030 must submit to their DUs a certification from the local Social Welfare Development Office showing their family income issued within six months before the filing of the application, a duly accomplished form, their most recent electricity bill and any government-issued ID containing the signature and address of the consumer.
The DOE said the monthly income threshold varies at each franchise area as determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
With this development, Meralco ramped up its barangay caravan within its franchise area to
“We are calling on all our qualified customers to take advantage of our caravan and apply for the program so that they can continue to benefit from the discount. Rest assured that Meralco will immediately process the applications and continue our information and education campaigns to bring in more customers to the program,” Meralco vice president and head of corporate communications Joe Zaldarriaga said.
