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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
February 15, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Low-income and marginalized families will have easier access to electricity subsidies beginning this month, President Marcos announced yesterday.
Speaking at the Meralco “Collective Response to Presidential Commitments In the Energy Sector” event held at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas, Pasig, Marcos underscored that help should automatically come to Filipinos.
“This month, we will implement – together with the distribution utilities or DU – the automatic registration of all 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program) beneficiaries under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP),” Marcos said in Filipino. “This is the kind of government that we advocate for. Filipinos should not be the ones seeking help. Help should come to Filipinos.”
Marcos noted that the LRSP has been underutilized for a long time due to complicated requirements.
As of November last year, only around 334,000 consumers are registered under the LRSP or only about 11 percent of the around three million beneficiaries of the 4Ps, the government’s conditional cash transfer program.
The President said the new lifeline consumption threshold allows beneficiaries of 4Ps with monthly electricity consumption of 50 kilowatt-hour (kWh) or less to get a 100 percent discount.
Low-income families who are not covered by 4Ps but fall under the poverty threshold and with minimal electricity consumption may register with LRSP, the President said.
Marcos also said the application process has been simplified for the net-metering program, allowing households to install solar panels and sell excess power to the grid faster than before.
“In other words, the policy is clearer and the process is faster. This administration will continue to work hard and hand-in-hand with the private sector in crafting processes, policies that make electricity accessible, affordable and reliable,” he said.
Citing his personal experience, the President said while the net-metering Pprogram has been around for more than a decade, the lack of clear rules and capacity-building for electric cooperatives made it frustrating to apply for net metering.
The program enables households and businesses to install renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, and sell surplus electricity back to the grid – lowering their bills while contributing to the power supply.
“Now, after sitting down with the Department of Energy and the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission), we have found a way to make it easier for our people to participate in the net-metering program,” Marcos said.
To expedite the application process, the DOE, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Public Works and Highways have signed a Joint Memorandum Circular so local government units would use standardized application forms and comply with a mandated turnaround time.
The ERC also directed distribution utilities to complete the interconnection process within 20 working days from the acceptance of the letter of interest, Marcos said.
Joining the President were Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda, Meralco chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan, ERC chairman and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan and other officials.
The President lauded key stakeholders like Meralco for working to alleviate the burdens of the people by expanding electrification coverage, boosting capacity and making electricity more affordable.
“From the Terra Solar Project, which will significantly expand renewable capacity through large-scale solar and battery storage, to the electrification of remote communities and supporting our net-metering and lifeline rate programs, your initiatives help many Filipinos gain access to energy,” Marcos said.
In his speech, Pangilinan said Meralco continues to work to bring reliable electricity to unserved and underserved communities.
Pangilinan said Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) would soon energize MTerra Solar, a 3,500-megawatt solar farm in Nueva Ecija. Marcos himself led the groundbreaking for the solar farm in November 2024.
“We are now energizing this massive solar plant and are scheduled to sell about 85 MW of power to the NGCP (National Grid Corporation of the Philippines) by Feb. 25,” Pangilinan said.
He also said Meralco is signing on Feb. 16 a $2.8-million grant from the US Trade and Development Agency for the conduct of a comprehensive study on the potential of nuclear plants in the country.
