Marcos urges Congress to review EPIRA, cites high electricity costs

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Congress on Monday to review whether the Arroyo-era Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) needs amendments during his third State of the Nation Address.

Marcos emphasized that the government is re-examining EPIRA to determine if it still meets consumers' needs for cheaper power rates, citing its potential ineffectiveness in lowering electricity costs and causing issues such as rotating brownouts.

The President highlighted the need to address rising electricity expenses which have been a deterrent for foreign investments and are straining both businesses and households.

Enacted in 2001 under former President Gloria Arroyo, EPIRA aimed to ensure reliable and competitively priced electricity by dividing the industry into four sub-sectors but has faced criticisms over its perceived ineffectiveness.

The government continues to implement measures such as the Lifeline Rate program and temporary suspension of FIT-All Tariff to ease consumer burden on power rates.

President Marcos also announced that Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are now connected through a unified Philippine Grid to stabilize power supply.

A recent study by the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development showed that electricity prices in the Philippines remain among the highest in Southeast Asia at USD 0.16 per kilowatt hour, second only to Singapore.