Marcos wants flexible payment options on electricity bills

‘RECOVERY EFFORTS’ Linemen of Lanao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Laneco) clear a road on Saturday after Severe Tropical Storm Kristine’s onslaught. —Photo from Laneco

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos on Tuesday ordered the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to study possible flexible payment options for consumers’ electricity bills in 161 areas placed under a state of calamity.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Marcos’ directive is “to aid in recovery efforts” following the damage from Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami).

READ: Electricity in 1.6M households restored — NEA

Moratorium

“The President directed the ERC to study the immediate implementation of a moratorium on electricity line disconnection and payment collection for the period of October to December 2024 in areas under a state of calamity due to Kristine,” the PCO said.

The ERC was also told to study the possibility of staggered or flexible payment options for electricity bills in these areas “to ease the financial burden on affected communities and support their recovery.”

Power restored

Following last week’s damage from Kristine, 161 cities and towns were placed under a state of calamity. They were mostly in the Bicol, Calabarzon, and Eastern Visayas regions.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said electricity has been restored in 228 out of 352 affected cities and towns.

As of Monday, authorities recorded around P1.5 billion in damage to infrastructure and P2.5 billion in damage to agriculture as a result of the weather disturbance.

Bicol was the hardest hit by Kristine as it experienced massive floods and landslides last week.