DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 15 August) – The Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) urged on Monday consumers living below the poverty threshold to apply for the lifeline subsidy scheme so they can avail of electricity discounts ranging from 10 to 100 percent.
Rodger Velasco, DLPC president and chief operating officer, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw that customers who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P) and those whose monthly family income fall below the poverty threshold can avail of the subsidy.
In the Davao Region, the poverty threshold is P11,103 a month for a family with five members, the Philippine Statistics Authority-Davao Region said in a March 2022 press release.
Velasco said the distribution utility is working closely with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Energy Regulatory Commission and the Department of Energy to reach out to more residents within its franchise area and get them enrolled in the scheme.
He noted that customers with a monthly electricity consumption of below 20 kilowatt hours would get 100 percent discount on bills, and the rate of discount will diminish as the consumption goes up.
Velasco said that customers with electricity consumption exceeding 100 kilowatt hours a month would not get a discount, but clarified that they would not be delisted from the scheme and would still enjoy discounts once their monthly electricity consumption falls below 100 kilowatt hours.
He said the DLPC would discontinue giving discounts to unregistered consumers starting September 1.
So far, Velasco revealed that only 239 have applied out of the 60,000 qualified customers within its franchise area, comprising the cities of Davao and Panabo and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte.
Application has been ongoing since May 2, 2023.
In a briefer, the DLPC said it is enforcing a lifeline subsidy scheme in light of the implementation of Republic Act 11552 or an Act Extending and Enhancing the Lifeline Rate, amending Section 73 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), as amended.
It said eligible customers will need to submit requirements, including the customer’s recent electricity bill, a valid government-issued identification card, a certification for non-4Ps beneficiaries from a social welfare and development certification officer (SWDO), and the accomplished official application form available at any of the distribution utility’s customer service centers.
Once reviewed and validated, the distribution utility will issue a Certification of Lifeline Coverage to the customer.
It said the subsidy will be valid for 4Ps beneficiaries as long as they are included in the DSWD 4Ps list while non-4Ps beneficiaries will enjoy a discount for three years from the date of issuance of the SWDO certificate, subject to renewal every two months. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
