Photo credit: LKI

A consumer advocacy group is calling on the government to broaden its focus on electricity issues, saying millions of Filipinos outside Metro Manila continue to pay higher power rates while dealing with unreliable service.

Laban Konsyumer, Inc. (LKI) said discussions on electricity prices have recently centered on Manila Electric Company (Meralco), but stressed that consumers in many provinces have long faced more expensive and less dependable electricity.

According to LKI Convenor Jorge Bandola, the country's electricity problem should not be viewed as an issue affecting only Metro Manila.

"Filipino consumers across the country deserve affordable and stable electricity—not just those in Metro Manila," Bandola said.

He pointed out that while Meralco customers have generally enjoyed a stable power supply despite recent concerns over electricity rates, many households in the provinces continue to grapple with frequent brownouts, unstable service, billing complaints, and poor customer support.

Bandola cited publicly available data showing that some of the country's highest residential electricity rates—reaching as much as P24 per kilowatt-hour in June—were recorded in areas such as Busuanga Island, Kalinga, Catanduanes, Camiguin, Oriental Mindoro, Southern Leyte, Lanao del Norte, and Aurora. Several of these areas are off-grid communities where power interruptions are also more common.

He questioned why public discussions and legislative inquiries often focus on Meralco, despite many consumers outside its franchise area paying significantly higher electricity rates.

LKI clarified that it is not seeking to exempt Meralco from scrutiny, but instead wants all distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to be held to the same standards of transparency and accountability.

The group also lamented that consumers in areas served by electric cooperatives have remained largely absent from national policy discussions despite facing long-standing issues involving high electricity costs, recurring outages, metering complaints, and poor service.

Bandola urged lawmakers to adopt a nationwide approach in crafting energy policies, emphasizing that legislation affects consumers across the entire country—not just those in Metro Manila.

LKI also recognized the efforts of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in explaining the factors that influence electricity prices and encouraging broader discussions that include consumers from all regions.

The group expressed hope that policymakers would adopt the same national perspective in addressing the country's energy challenges and ensuring that every Filipino, regardless of location, benefits from affordable, reliable, and transparent electricity services.