A Philippine consumer coalition criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday for failing to remove system loss charges from electricity bills, 100 days after his State of the Nation Address.
The Power for People Coalition (P4P) said the administration has failed to deliver on its promise to lower electricity costs as consumers continue to face rising power rates.
“Marcos Jr. has yet to fulfill his promise to remove the system loss charge from our bills,” said Gerry Arances, P4P convenor.
Arances questioned why the administration had failed to eliminate charges that increase electricity costs while continuing to approve fossil fuel projects that the coalition said contribute to higher rates.
The coalition said removing the value-added tax on system loss charges would provide only limited relief because the tax accounts for a fraction of consumers’ monthly electricity bills.
P4P questioned the administration’s ability to regulate power costs and protect consumers from rising electricity rates.
The group cited another increase in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) electricity rates in October, driven by higher generation charges.
“If Marcos Jr genuinely aims to protect consumers, then he must address the primary culprit for high electricity rates: the generation charge, exacerbated by fossil dependence and passed down to consumers by corporations,” said Arances.
P4P also questioned the substantial profits of major power companies while households continue to struggle with electricity costs.
The coalition cited ₱44.8 billion in profits for Meralco and ₱26.2 billion for AboitizPower in 2026, which it attributed to their power generation businesses.
Arances criticized power companies for earning billions while consumers shoulder high electricity rates, unreliable service and repeated outages at coal-fired power plants.
The coalition has long called for the removal of pass-through costs, including generation charges, to reduce electricity bills.
“The disparity between corporations profiting billions while millions of consumers suffer high costs of electricity must be ended,” said Arances.
He urged the government to address what the coalition described as corporate profiteering from electricity charges and expand access to community-based renewable energy.
P4P called for greater access to solar power, particularly in communities most vulnerable to high electricity costs.
