MANILA (UPDATE) - The Energy Department said 191,399 low income Filipinos have registered so far in the government’s electricity lifeline rate program, which began full implementation on Monday, January 1.

This was a fraction of the program’s targetted 4 million potential beneficiaries.

Under the program, electricity consumers who are beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as well as those whose incomes are lower than the poverty threshold set by the Philippine Statistics Authority are eligible for discounts on their monthly electricity bill.

Beneficiaries however are required to register first to avail of the discounts, Luningning Baltazar, Director of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau of the Department of Energy said in a televised interview.

Meralco Spokesperson Joe Zaldarriaga said the low turnout may be because 4Ps beneficiaries do not have some of the documents required by the program.

“Una may application form na ibibgay sa kanila, fill up nila. Pangalawa, ano latest bill nila. Pangtalo, government ID at certification na myembro ng 4PS o certification na sila ay marginlized sector.”

Baltazar meanwhile said other families do not have individual meters as multiple families typically live under one roof, or are simply not aware of the existing program.

"Yung iba naman naliliitan sila dun sa threshold, so for example may mga areas sa Visayas nga, na nasa 25 kilowatt-hout (kWh) lang yung threshold and normally maaring lumalagpas doon ang kanilang kunsumo, so they decided not to register,” she said.

“But still we encourage them na magregister pa rin sila dahil pag-aaralan pa rin natin yan kung ano ang nararapat na threshold.”

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Baltazar explained how discounts are computed under the program, which is based on the approved threshold by the Energy Regulatory Commission for every distribution utility franchise.

In Metro Manila which is under the Meralco franchise, consumers under the lifeline program can avail of a discount as long as their montly consumption doesn't exceed 100kWh.

“Sa Meralco franchise area po meron tayong tinatawag na iba ibang level of discount. Kung sila ay makakunsumo ng 20 kWh, almost maavail nila yung 100 percent discount, they just need to pay yung tinatawag nating meter fee na P5, around P10 lang halos ang babayaran kasama yung ibang part ng bill gaya ng taxes or subsidies.”

“Kung 80 to 100 kWh naman po, yung maximum na threshold, they can avail 20 percent discount," he continued.

Baltazar however added that this is for the Meralco franchise area, and the computation will be different in other areas, whose approved threshold is lower than 100 kWh.

The DOE official said there is no deadline for the registration for the lifeline rate program, but said only the 191,399 consumers who have registered will be able to enjoy the discounts this January.

Authorities earlier deferred the program's implementation to allow more people to register for the program.

Zaldarriaga added that only 33,000 customers in its franchise area registered for the program.

He added that that some families may have no extra money for fare going to the power utility firm for registration, and some may not know about the program or simply has no time to register because of work.

Meralco personnel are now now going to small villages or barangays to inform residents and to help them in the registration process, he said.

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