Northern Samar 2nd District Rep. Edwin Ongchuan filed a resolution urging government agencies to explore measures that could help ease the impact of rising electricity costs on consumers in off-grid communities.

Ongchuan, vice chair of the House Committee on Energy, and Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Eulogio Rodriguez, a member of the same panel, filed House Resolution No. 883 in response to increasing power rates driven by higher global fuel prices.

“The resolution notes that recent increases in global fuel prices, influenced in part by tensions in the Middle East, have led to higher diesel costs. Many off-grid and missionary electrification areas in the Philippines depend on diesel-fired power plants operated through the National Power Corporation-Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG), making them more sensitive to fuel price changes,” Ongchuan stated on Tuesday.

In Northern Samar, communities like San Vicente, San Antonio, Capul and Batag Island are among those directly impacted by increasing electricity costs because of their off-grid status.

Under the current policies of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), increases in fuel costs are passed on to consumers through cost-recovery mechanisms. This has caused higher electricity bills in SPUG areas, straining households and small businesses already facing economic challenges.

House Resolution No. 883 encourages the Department of Energy (DOE), NPC and the ERC to consider immediate and practical interventions to help manage electricity costs. These include possible temporary relief measures, fuel price stabilization strategies and improved cost management systems.

The measure also calls on the House Committee on Energy to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into current fuel cost pass-through mechanisms affecting SPUG areas. The proposed review aims to enhance consumer protection, transparency, and promote sustainable, affordable energy solutions.

In a related move, Ongchuan also filed House Resolution No. 889, which seeks a separate inquiry into how various charges impact electric cooperatives and consumers nationwide.

The proposed review will evaluate whether the current regulatory framework still aligns with the consumer protection goals of Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

The resolutions aim to support communities in remote and underserved areas while promoting a balanced energy policy that ensures both affordability and sustainability. (PNA)