4Ps, renewable energy users to pay much less
Daily TribuneENERGY security showcase President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) tours the Manila Electric Co. exhibit at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City on 14 February. The exhibit highlights directives from the President’s 2025 State of the Nation Address aimed at addressing power challenges, including rotational brownouts, rising electricity costs, and the electrification gap affecting about 3 million households.
PHOTOGRAPH BY YUMMIE DINGDING FOR DAILY TRIBUNE
The government has simplified the process for low income households to receive electricity subsidies for renewable energy use, while greatly reducing application processing time under the Net Metering Program.
Speaking at the “Collective Response to Presidential Commitments in the Energy Sector” held at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas, Pasig CIty, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the administration has coordinated with distribution utilities to automatically enroll beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP).
As of November 2025, around 334,000 consumers were registered under the LRSP, representing 11 percent of the estimated three million 4Ps beneficiaries nationwide.
“This month, together with the distribution utilities, we will implement the automatic registration of all 4Ps beneficiaries under the LRSP,” the President said.
Under the revised guidelines, 4Ps beneficiaries with monthly electricity consumption of 50 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or less will receive a 100-percent discount.
Low income households not covered by 4Ps but who fall below the poverty threshold and have minimal electricity consumption may also apply for the subsidy.
Underutilized scheme
Marcos said the LRSP had long been underutilized due to its complicated requirements.
Under the Net Metering Program, households and businesses are granted incentives to install renewable energy systems, such as solar panels, and sell the excess electricity they generate back to the grid.
He said the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Public Works and Highways have signed a Joint Memorandum Circular directing local government units to adopt standardized application forms and comply with the mandated turnaround time.
In addition, the Energy Regulatory Commission has ordered distribution utilities to complete the interconnection process within 20 working days from acceptance of a letter of interest.
Marcos acknowledged the role of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) in supporting renewable energy initiatives, including large-scale solar projects and the implementation of net metering and lifeline rate programs.