Inihayag ni Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairman Atty. Monalisa Dimalanta na nais niyang bigyang kapangyarihan ang mga mamimili sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng transparency sa rate regulation.
“The low hanging fruit is really transparency and accountability in rate regulation. If we truly want to empower our consumers, we need to give access to information that will allow to them to make the right decisions. Engage them in an exercise to promote energy literacy,” wika ni Dimalanta.
Matatandaang nilagdaan ng ERC, kasama ng Department of Energy (DOE) at Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), ang Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) ng Republic Act No. 11552 o “An Act Extending and Enhancing the implementation of the Lifeline Rate, Amending for the Purpose Section 73 of Republic Act. No. 9136 (Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2021)” noong Oktubre 28, 2022.
“Under the law and the IRR, ERC is mandated to coordinate with DSWD so that the identification of marginalized end-users align with the 4Ps beneficiaries. This system allows us to approximate a consistent approach in making sure that social safety nets are applied uniformly and benefit those who really need them,” ani Dimalanta.
Ayon sa opisyal, titiyakin ng ERC na ang mga regulated entities — nananatiling natural na monopolyo — ay sumusunod sa mga alituntunin bilang kanilang mga sistema, ang kanilang mga wire ay ang playing field.
“If there is no level playing field, if players are not held accountable, there can be no genuine exercise of the right to choose. In other words, we need to create and then protect this enabling environment for us to achieve energy democracy,” sabi ng ERC Chair.
“Having that consistency and cohesive approach allows Government as a whole to develop more programs that are targeted to increase social and economic mobility in the long term,” dagdag pa ng opisyal.
