Davao City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, participated in the forum of the second roll-out of the Lifeline Rate Program’s Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign on Republic Act 11552, otherwise known as “An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate, Amending for the Purpose Section 73 of Republic Act. No. 9136, or the “Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 and its implementing rules and regulations (IRRs). This was held at Park Inn by Radisson Davao City on May 17, 2023.

To warrant the equitable implementation of the Lifeline Rate Act and to ensure that only deserving and qualified households can benefit from the government’s lifeline subsidy, the Department of Energy (DOE) spearheaded the series IEC in the National Capital Region (NCR), Luzon and Mindanao.

The IEC campaign provides the public with adequate information to safeguard the right of the qualified consumers to avail of the subsidy. Under the Law, qualified beneficiaries include 4Ps households whose level of consumption falls within the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) established threshold, and the poor who have been verified and validated as such by their distribution utility based on ERC standard.

To receive the maximum benefit from the subsidy, eligible customers must submit an application to the DUs or Electric Cooperatives along with all the required documents.  The Lifeline Rate subsidy is only available to qualified consumers who have passed the validation process.

On 28 October 2022, the ERC, DOE, and DSWD signed the IRR of the RA 11552. ###