Pia Cayetano calls for complete review of ‘Epira’ law amid outages, costly electricity

ROTATIONAL BROWNOUTS. James Patrick Lumayag, a five-year-old Kindergarten 2 pupil, would have to endure studying by candlelight in his house in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, amid the rotational brownouts in Metro Cebu.
CDN FILE PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A senator wants to push for a review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) due to the frequency of power outages and increasing rate of electricity.

Senator Pia Cayetano, who chairs the Senate’s Committee on Energy and Power, said on Wednesday that it is crucial to review the whole Epira law as consumers deserve the quality of electricity for what they are paying.

“We really have to review the whole Epira law and see how we can strengthen ERC so that talagang ma-regulate nila itong mga cooperatives that are servicing the nation,” Cayetano said.

This plan stemmed from her previous initial briefings with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) where she observed that the country needs to “empower” the commission.

“Parang we need to empower them some more. Like parang mababa lang ang penalty dito sa mga gumagawa ng hindi tama, yung mga abusive na cooperatives,” Cayetano said.

Cayetano also recalled that it has been 20 years ago since the Epira was passed, and it was during the time of her father, the late and former senator Renato Cayetano.

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“And when you look at the laws, it depends on what is needed during that time. So ang dami nangyari diyan, mga privatization, including itong pag-create ng ERC, kung siya yung nagre-regulate pagka may problema ang mga kababayan natin dun sa kuryente sa bayan nila, yung panay ang brownout, o nagtaas na naman ang presyo, ERC yun,” she said.

Cayetano visited Cebu for the National Cacao Congress 2024 in Cebu City and to distribute financial aid through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program in Minglanilla.

Marcos’ SONA

Last July 22, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) told the Congress to review if the Epira needs amendments and pointed out the power supply issues in several parts of the country.

“Binabalikan at binubusisi natin muli ang Epira upang malaman kung angkop pa ba ito sa ating kasalukuyang sitwasyon o napapanahon na ito ay amyendahan,” he said.

Marcos also asked the Congress to consider it for the sake of the Filipinos, especially that the prices of power are already high for all consumers.

The Epira was enacted in 2021 during the time of Former President Gloria Arroyo. It aimed to ensure competitive electricity rates in the country.

In 2022, several senators also made this call due to the same reason. These senators include Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Grace Poe, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Raffy Tulfo, Risa Hontiveros, and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

“Naglo-look forward po talaga kami sa patuloy na diskusyon para singilin ang mga pangako ng Epira at mag-reshape o mag-shape ng bagong batas na magde-deliver ng dekalidad at murang kuryente sa ating mga kababayan na kasama po doon ay itinataguyod ang papel ng mga electrical cooperatives at pinalalaki yung share ng renewable energy sa ating energy mix,” Hontiveros said. /with reports from Daniza Fernandez and Zacarian Sarao, Inquirer.net