House Prioritizes Power System Loss Charge Removal, Income Tax Relief

THE House of Representatives will prioritize measures to remove system loss charges from electricity bills and provide income tax relief for workers, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s legislative agenda following his fifth State of the Nation Address. Speaker and Isabela Rep. Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III on Wednesday said the chamber is ready to act on the President’s proposals, including amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act and the National Internal Revenue Code. “Our duty now is to turn into law the bills that will make the lives of our countrymen easier,” Mr. Dy said in a statement. “The House is ready to act immediately to push for these reforms.” He said the House aims to move quickly on legislation removing system loss charges from electricity bills and updating income tax brackets to increase workers’ take-home pay. Mr. Dy said consumers should not bear costs arising from power system inefficiencies or electricity theft. “It is not fair that responsible electricity consumers shoulder the cost of system losses or stolen electricity,” he said in Filipino. “Each family should only pay for the electricity they actually used.” He added that households consuming up to 200 kilowatt-hours a month could save about P80 monthly if system loss charges are removed. The Speaker also backed revisions to income tax brackets, saying they no longer reflect economic conditions and should be updated to provide relief, particularly for middle-income earners. Separately, the House Energy Committee said it would fast-track measures supporting the administration’s power sector reform agenda, including proposals to remove system loss charges and simplify the installation of rooftop solar systems. Palawan Rep. Jose C. Alvarez, who heads the committee, said the panel would pursue the “fastest available legislative route” to pass the administration’s priority energy measures. “The President has laid down a clear and compelling direction — to make electricity more affordable and ensure that more Filipino families have access to reliable and sustainable energy,” he said in a statement. He noted that the House has already approved on third reading several energy measures, including the proposed Waste-to-Energy Act, Energy Storage Systems Act, Energy Regulatory Commission Restructuring Act and Biofuels Act. Mr. Alvarez said bills removing system loss charges have been referred to the committee and are scheduled for deliberation. He also backed the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, which seeks to ease regulatory and administrative requirements for installing rooftop solar panels and battery energy storage systems. The committee is consolidating related proposals into a substitute bill for filing in the House. — Pexcel John Bacon