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Extending lifeline rate subsidy for marginalized electric consumers: Sen. Win Gatchalian sponsors Senate Bill No. 1877 under Committee Report No. 132 which seeks to amend Section 73 of Republic Act No. 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, to further extend the effectivity of the Lifeline Rate for an additional ten years until June 26, 2031. Gatchalian, during the hybrid plenary session Monday, November 9, 2020, said that from 2011 to 2019, the annual average of lifeline consumers was 4.63 million which accounts for 34.19 percent of total consumers but their total consumption accounts for a mere 3.31 percent of total electricity sales. Overall, the Lifeline Rate generated P38.491 billion in savings for marginalized end-users over the nine-year period. This equates to an average subsidy of P8,311 in savings per household, the senator said. “Mr. President, I feel strongly that humanitarian considerations dictate the extension of the Lifeline Rate. It is called the Lifeline Rate for a reason, after all — it is meant to help poor and low-income households stay afloat as they struggle to pay for the basic needs of their families,” Gatchalian said. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)