MANILA, Philippines — Consumer and advocacy groups are calling on the national government to take urgent action on the rising cost of electricity, warning that Filipino households are being financially overwhelmed by ever-increasing power rates.
In a press conference held Friday, the Power for People Coalition (P4P) urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the crisis in the power sector with the same level of urgency and scrutiny currently being directed at alleged corruption in flood control projects.
“President Marcos has built a midterm legacy of enabling electricity prices to skyrocket,” said Gerry Arances, P4P Convenor. “Since the start of his term, electricity rates in the Meralco franchise area alone have jumped by Php 3 per kilowatt-hour — that’s Php 600 more every month for a household consuming 200 kWh.”
Arances emphasized the double burden on Filipino families, many of whom are still recovering from recent climate disasters. “It’s encouraging to see accountability pursued in flood control anomalies. But while we focus on corruption in infrastructure, we must not overlook the corruption and profiteering that plague the power sector. Filipinos are drowning not just in floodwaters, but in unaffordable electric bills.”
In August, Meralco residential rates rose again by Php 0.63/kWh, driven by higher generation costs from the spot market and gas-fired power plants, currency fluctuations, and increased transmission charges.
“This latest hike only confirms what we’ve long said — that the current power system is unjust and anti-consumer. And unless systemic reforms are made, this won’t be the last,” Arances warned.
The coalition attributed the continuing rise in rates to the dominance of private oligarchic interests in the energy sector, the country’s dependence on imported coal and fossil gas, regulatory failure, and what they described as the failed promises of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
Joining the call for reform were representatives from the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), K4K-Quezon City, Samahan ng Mamamayan Zone One Tondo, and the Laudato Si’ Convergence, an alliance of faith-based and civic organizations advocating for climate and energy justice.
Bishop Gerry Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, also the national coordinator of Laudato Si’ Convergence, lent his voice to the campaign.
“This Season of Creation reminds us that to care for our common home is also to protect the dignity of our people,” Bishop Alminaza said. “Today, Filipino families are suffering from high electricity costs due to our continued reliance on coal and other fossil fuels. This is a moral issue. When energy becomes unaffordable, it is the poor who suffer most.”
The groups reiterated their call for a just and inclusive energy transition, as well as stronger government oversight to protect consumers from what they described as “exploitative” pricing mechanisms in the power sector.
