"The extended subsidy ensures that poor Filipino families could continue to enjoy some relief from the high cost of electricity, especially during this time of pandemic."
"The extended subsidy ensures that poor Filipino families could continue to enjoy some relief from the high cost of electricity, especially during this time of pandemic."Finally, after weeks of depressing news —from car seats with illogical height and age requirements to motor vehicle inspection scam, we get to hear some good ones.
While I may not agree one hundred percent with the government’s pampering of the impoverished sector at the expense of the middle class, I would make an exemption for this as I believe this is a legitimate concern, especially in the midst of this pandemic.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives panel led by House Energy chair, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo and the Senate panel led by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, approved the reconciled version of the Extension of Lifeline Rates that seeks to extend the lifeline rate subsidy set to expire on June 26 this year.
It could be recalled that Section 73 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act originally provided for a lifeline rate for the marginalized end-users that was set by the Energy Regulatory Commission, exempting them from the cross-subsidy phaseout, for a period of ten years, unless extended by law.
The proposed measure extends the implementation of the said subsidy mechanism for the benefit of the marginalized household consumers for another ten years, or until 2031.
Arroyo underscored the pressing need to immediately extend the lifeline rate subsidy so that “poor Filipino families could continue to enjoy some relief from the high cost of electricity, especially during this time of pandemic.”
The bill, Arroyo adds, also enhances the present lifeline rate subsidy mechanism to ensure the actual beneficiaries of the said subsidy are indeed marginalized consumers through modes of validation and prevention of leaks.
The proposed law also mandates that aside from the level of consumption, other requirements should be simplified and reasonable so that poor households could really benefit from the said subsidy.
Christmas may have long been over but this could still probably be the best gift the poor members of our society could have received especially in the midst of this finance-draining pandemic.
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Another piece of good news.
The House Transportation Committee bared it will look into the mounting complaints over the implementation of the Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Inspection System project which was carried out despite the panel’s request for proper inspection before roll out.
Committee chairman Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento said that the growing public outrage over the premature implementation of the MVIS is not surprising because early on, the DoTr was already warned about its potential flaws.
In fact, Sarmiento wrote a letter to DoTr Secretary Arthur Tugade on September 16, 2020 requesting him to defer the implementation of the MVIS project until after his panel conducts an inspection of a completed Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center.
Sarmiento reminded Tugade of the motion which was raised and approved during the House Transportation Committee’s December 11,2019 hearing that touched on the issue about the MVIS.
During the hearing where DoTr officials led by DoTr Undersecretary Mark De Leon and Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Edgar Galvante made a presentation about the MVIS project, several congressmen and transport leaders questioned the absence of stakeholders’ consultation before the crafting of the MVIS guidelines.
Sarmiento said that during the same hearing, panel members expressed doubts on the readiness of the DoTr to simultaneously roll out the project at the projected time.
Unsatisfied with the answer of Galvante on questions about the cost of putting up PMVIC facilities and how much a vehicle would pay for each motor vehicle inspection, Marikina Congressman and former Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando motioned to ask the DOTr and the LTO to hold in abeyance the implementation of the MVIS project.
Upon the suggestion of Bukidnon Rep. Manuel Zubiri, Sarmiento said that his panel agreed to review the MVIS project before the LTO starts full implementation and this would include the opening of a pilot center which would be inspected by the transportation committee.
The DoTr bypassed the request of Congress and rolled out the MVIS project. Thus, it is now generating protests among motorists who have been caught up by the new system of registering vehicles.
For one, Sarmiento noted that apart from the fact that the cost of inspection in these PMVICs is questionable, there are also complaints that the system and its evaluation protocols are seriously flawed. There are even reports of vehicles that were damaged during the process of inspection because of system incompatibilities.
Sarmiento added that it doesn’t make sense that even newly purchased private vehicles that are under five years old are being subjected to the MVIS but public utility vehicles which are obviously more prone to wear-and-tear are not required to go through the same process.
