The Davao Light and Power Company Inc. (Davao Light) will prioritize Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries and other marginalized individuals for its lifeline rate subsidy.

In a press briefing Wednesday, Davao Light president and chief operating officer Rodger Velasco said they are intensifying public awareness of the lifeline rate subsidy as it has only garnered about a hundred applicants so far.

Under the new guidelines of Republic Act 11552 or “An Act Extending and Enhancing the Implementation of the Lifeline Rate,” qualified subsidy customers are 4Ps beneficiaries and non-4Ps beneficiaries living below the poverty threshold.

“The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has moved the registration and implementation to September due to the low turnout of applicants. We have been struggling in advertising the lifeline rate subsidy,” Velasco said.

The lifeline rate provides a discount on electricity bills of low-income customers whose monthly electricity consumption is 100kWh or below. The subsidy is based on the level of discount set by the ERC and is applied to the generation, transmission, distribution, supply, metering and systems loss charges only.

Velasco said they already reached out to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Davao Region (DSWD-11) to offer electric subsidies for low-income households enrolled under the 4Ps.

“We engaged with DSWD-11 to assist and help 4Ps members to register. It will give them as high as 100 percent to as low as 10 percent discount depending on their consumption rate,” he said.

Davao Light noted that around 65,000 out of more than 475,000 of their customers are eligible to apply for the subsidy.

The power firm’s franchise area covers Davao City, Davao del Norte’s City of Panabo and the towns of Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas. (PNA)