Imee Marcos questions why Meralco, power distributors can't shoulder discounts

[0:00] Uy, grabe naman, patong-patong na to. [0:02] Yung generation charge, may charge na. [0:04] Tapos, do-double up pa sa system loss. [0:08] Tapos yung ancillary charges, na hindi naman ginamit, nakatambay lang. [0:12] Eh, dinagdagan din. [0:14] Parang nawiwili kayo sa kadadagdag. [0:17] At, when VAT is calculated, kasama rin system loss at yung iba't iba pang sinasabi ninyo, yung transmission, ancillary, etc. [0:28] Yes po, Madam Chair. [0:30] Computed lahat yan sa VAT? [0:31] Meron pong VAT component, per bill component, except for a few. [0:37] Nasabi ng BIR, hindi kasama sa VAT base. [0:41] So, anong masasabi natin sa mga nagre-reklamo? [0:46] Baka naman pwedeng sumagot din ang ERC o kung sino man dyan sa DOE. [0:54] Masasabi natin sa mga dumadaing mga households that are recording triple their electric consumption. [1:00] And their bills at the time when electricity sales actually declined. [1:05] Ang realidad, ang sinasabi lagi ng Meralco ay lumolobo ang konsumo kapag tag-init. [1:13] Pero pag tinignan ko ito, from February to April, lumiit nga yung konsumo eh. [1:21] From 2.7, 2.711 billion kilowatts, naging 2.644 billion kilowatts. [1:30] It hardly supports the idea that higher consumption occurred in the summer. [1:35] So, what's going on? [1:36] Can we have ERC perhaps? Explain? [1:42] Because it's not just Meralco under the gun here. [1:45] Yung NEEC sa Nueva Ecija, yung iba't iba pang mga co-op, [1:51] e pare-pareho rin na nagsilobo ang kanilang billing. [1:54] Yes, Mr. Chair, and we state for a fact that yung mga singil generally nagsipagtaasan, [2:05] brought about by the increase doon sa pinakamalaking component which is the generation charge. [2:12] And as mentioned, because yung transmission charge natin nakabundle pa dyan yung cost ng ancillary service, [2:18] so pagka mayroong increase sa generation cost or sa ancillary service, [2:24] nakakaroon din ng increase sa transmission. [2:27] Insofar as the regulated rates, yung distribution willing mismo at saka yung transmission willing mismo, [2:33] hindi po masyadong gumagalaw yan kasi yan ay depende doon sa rate approval na ibinigay ng ERC after a rate possibility. [2:40] Sabi mo, hindi gumagalaw eh, pero lumulobo nga eh. [2:44] Kaya po, yung mga component po na gumagalaw 1-1 tulad ng generation, [2:48] O yung generation, o yung sinabi na ninyo, pati yung sinabi ninyo, yung transmission, okay. [2:53] Opo, tapos po, dahil nakabase yung VAT doon sa total na generation cost, [3:00] doon po naa-apply yung VAT. [3:02] Kaya't kung tataas yung generation cost, tataas din yung VAT on generation. [3:08] Pero bakit aabot naman sa triple to? Sobra-sobra naman. [3:11] At saka ano ba ang magagawa ng ERC para mabawasan naman to? [3:16] Pwede ba tanggalin na muna yung mga systems laws? [3:18] Hindi naman nadagdagan yan. [3:20] Pati yung transmission cost, eh hindi naman totoong nadagdagan yan. [3:25] Can we just keep it down? [3:27] Yes po, over the years, naibaba na po natin nga yung CAP, [3:31] which is the allowable system laws cost. [3:33] No, I'm talking about the present crisis that we are confronting. [3:37] Para makatulong lang naman. [3:38] Doon po sa mga pag-mitigate, nagkaroon na nga din po tayo ng mga rate actions tulad nung sa Meralco [3:50] to accelerate yung implementation ng kanilang refund to at least realize an additional rate reduction [3:58] that can offset yung pagtaas po ng kanilang generation charge. [4:03] Meron na bang na rate reduction na Meralco or other co-op? [4:08] Yes po, pagdating doon sa accelerated na rate refund. [4:11] Kailan? Kailan? Saan? [4:13] That will take effect po starting this next billing. [4:17] Imihabol po talaga namin yung decision dyan ng commission. [4:20] How much can we look forward to? [4:22] Pagdating po sa mga residential customers, may mga kalagdagang around 20 centavos, 22 centavos [4:29] para po lalo pa yung mga residential. [4:32] Anong tawag dyan? [4:33] Yan, deduction na yan? [4:35] Opo, that is a separate line item na rate reduction because of the refund. [4:42] Awat based on the... [4:43] Pero refund yan, di ba? [4:45] Opo, rate refund siya brought about by the confirmation by the ERC [4:50] of the implemented rates of Meralco for July 2022 to 2024 [4:58] and comparing it with the computed average, actual average, weighted average tariff of Meralco. [5:09] So, yun po yung naging basis kaya siya pinagsoli. [5:12] Right now may natitira ng 14 billion. [5:15] May isang nagsulat at nagre-reklamo na yung total, yung subsidies ang sinagot sa kanya. [5:23] Lumaki daw yung bill niya pagkat daw yung dinagdag yung mga total subsidy. [5:29] Wala maumaisip na bagong subsidy pagkat total subsidies really only account for 1 centavo per kilowatt. [5:36] Is it too much for power distribution utilities to pay for this rather than passing it on to consumers? [5:44] I know that ERC approved perhaps. [5:47] Did you approve their pass on for both subsidies? [5:52] First, the lifeline. [5:58] Opo, nakabasi po din yan kasi doon sa expanded lifeline program na ipinatutupad natin based on the law. [6:05] Based on the EFRA, na allow subsidies to be charged. [6:10] Opo, as amended and as extended by subsequent legislation. [6:15] Pero hindi ba kaya? [6:16] Maliit lang naman ito. [6:17] Ang liit-liit naman yung lifeline na yan. [6:19] At nasabi nga, 135,000 lang naman. [6:22] 8 million lang naman yan every month. [6:25] Hindi ba pwedeng i-absorb na ng Meralco yan? [6:27] Iba-iba din po kasi ang ating mga distribution utilities. [6:31] Meron din tayong mga electric cooperatives na kung saan ang kanilang tangipan. [6:34] Hindi, sana manguna na yung Meralco, siyang pinakamalaki. [6:38] Of course, kung sila po voluntaryo kasi yung mga in-approve naman. [6:41] Pinatanong ko lang. [6:42] Nating singil para sa... [6:43] Eh, napakahirap na ng buhay eh. [6:45] Para sa distribution charge, ito naman ay pupwede na ating i-consideran na maximum that they can implement. [6:52] Ano, alam ko, Atty.1 kasi pinirmahan mo eh. In-approve ninyo eh. [6:57] Pinayagan ninyo. [6:58] Tapos yung senior citizens, the same mechanism. [7:01] All subsidies to be passed on, ano. [7:05] Eh, maliit din lang yung senior citizens. [7:07] Hindi ba pwedeng i-absorb na lang ng ating mga co-op? [7:11] Ang tagal-tagal na lang ipiralo na yan eh. [7:14] Kailangan siguro pagbabago na. [7:15] What do you think? [7:17] Hindi ba pwede isipin yun? [7:18] Kasi yan ang tinuturo na dahilan. [7:21] Kung bakit lumalaki yung bill nila. [7:24] Eh, ang liit-liit lang nun eh. [7:26] Kasi po, lahat naman yung mga programa, yung mga discounts, yung subsidies, [7:31] ito po kasi ay may cost para sa distribution utility. [7:34] No, we understand that. [7:35] But we're in the process of problem solving. [7:38] Pilit nating hinahanapan ng solusyon na gumaan ng kaunti ang hirap ng tao, di ba? [7:45] Eh, yung mas may kakayahan na sumagot nitong mga bills na to, [7:49] eh, siyempre, yung mga co-op at yung meral ko. [7:53] Tinatanong ko lang naman, [7:54] pwede bang amyendahan na natin ang ipira, pati yung senior citizens, [7:58] para at least hindi na ipass on at pampabigat sa ating mga consumers? [8:05] Wala, meral ko. [8:07] O, kaya nga, tapos na. Yun na lang. [8:10] Hindi, yung meral ko, sasagot po. [8:13] Madam Chair, [8:14] ERC, pirma lang kayo ng pirma, eh. [8:17] So, we'll, of course, we'll defer or we'll comply with whatever regulations ERC releases. [8:22] Yun sa discount, yung sa lifeline subsidies lang po, [8:25] it is used to fund discounts on the bill. [8:27] Tapos yung discount po na yun sa lahat ng component ko. [8:30] So, kasama po yung generation charge na yung pinamalaking component nyong bill. [8:33] So, maybe we need to discuss the mechanism kasi bakit po i-absorb ng distribution utility lahat [8:39] when the discount is applied also, for example, to the generation and transmission charges. [8:44] Okay. Pero, bukas ang inyong isipan. [8:46] Kayo na lang magtawara ng ERC. [8:49] Kasi, pati yun, pinagdidiskitahan ngayon, eh. [8:54] At sinasabi na yun daw ang pampabigat. [8:56] So, kinakailangan talaga ang pag-iisip natin ngayon. [9:00] Hindi lamang sumunod sa batas, kundi tulungan ng tao. [9:04] Di po ba? [9:05] So, yun lang ang sinasabi ko. [9:07] Maraming salamat po. [9:08] Thank you very much, Mr. J. [9:09] Thank you, Mr. Chair.