8K Baguio, Benguet households to receive gov’t power subsidy

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – Some 7,826 households in Baguio and other parts of Benguet province are expected to benefit from the government's electricity subsidy program under Republic Act 11552.
    Leo Quintilla, Dept. of Social Welfare and Development-Cordillera Administrative Region director, in a message on Thursday said beneficiaries of Benguet Electric Cooperative's (Beneco) lifeline electricity rate include 1,067 Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Baguio and 6,759 4Ps in Benguet.
    RA 11552 or "An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate" identifies the DSWD's 4Ps beneficiaries as a group that will also benefit from the lifeline rate if their consumption is below 100 kilowatt hours (kWh).
    The lifeline discount rate is applied to charges like the generation, transmission, system loss, distribution, supply and metering charges and other charges as may be approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission for a particular month.
    Other charges that customers have to pay which are minimal in amount as can be seen in the Beneco electric bill includes reinvestment for suspended capital expenditure, senior citizen subsidy, VAT and universal charges.  
    The DSWD gives its list of 4Ps grantees to the Department of Energy which downloads it to the Electric Cooperatives or Distribution Utilities.
    The same law also extends the benefit to non-4Ps whose income is below the poverty threshold set by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at P11,793 monthly per capita income based on the latest available data in 2021.
    To qualify, the beneficiary must first get a certification from the Social Welfare and Development office of the local government unit and apply for eligibility to Beneco.
    "The new law limits the benefits to the 4Ps and those below the poverty threshold but they have to apply. It is not automatic," Laarni Ilagan of the Corporate Communications Office of Beneco said on Thursday.
    "That is why we encourage the 4Ps and non-4Ps who are qualified to apply and avail of the benefit because it is for them and it is a waste if they do not avail," she said.
    Required documents include an accomplished application form, the most recent electricity bill, and a valid government-issued identification card containing the signature and address of the consumer.
    Other supporting documents to be submitted if electric service is not registered under the name of the applicant include proof of residence through a barangay certification. If filed through a representative, a letter of authority. -- PNA