(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the extension of the no-disconnection policy for “lifeliners” or low-income families who have low electricity consumption.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said this was the President’s decision on the recommendation of the Department of Energy during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“The President readily agreed given that electricity is a basic necessity our countrymen cannot live without,” he said.
According to Nograles, lifeliners are those who consume 100 kilowatts of electricity and below.
He said the extension was “very doable” since lifeliners, while they comprise 32 percent of the customer base, account for only 3 percent of electricity sales.
“Makakahinga na po ng malalim ang ating mga kababayan na mababa o walang kita,” he said.
In October 2020, the Energy Regulatory Commission ordered power distribution utilities “not to implement any disconnection on account of non-payment of bills until December 31, 2020 for consumers with monthly consumption not higher than twice the ERC maximum lifeline consumption level.”
