A senator appealed for urgent government measures to slash high electricity bills as endless price and fuel hikes continue to squeeze the budgets of working-class families across the nation.
In the senate plenary session this Tuesday, Senator Bam Aquino urged immediate executive and legislative interventions to remove financial burdens that continue to squeeze Filipino household budgets.
“Sa walang tigil na pagtaas ng presyo ng krudo, patuloy ang pagmahal ng mga bilihin at Pilipino na naman ang naiipit. Bigas, pamalengke, bayad sa tubig at kuryente. Sabay-sabay na po ang mga gastusin at angpagtaas nito… Kahit anong pagtitipid, hindina nagkakasya ang budget,” he said.
He stressed that this crisis no longer spares anyone, from minimum wage earners and students to small business owners and the middle class. Aquino says, that hard-earned savings intended for housing, education or family emergencies are now completely swallowed by basic survival costs.
“Ramdam ito ng estudyanteng kinakapos angbaon sa pamasahe at pangangailangan sa eskwelahan. Maliliit na negosyong nauubos ang kita sa gastos ng mga driver at delivery rider na halos wala ng nauuwi dahil sa presyong petrolyo. Pati po ang middle class… Kayod ng kayod pero hirap pa ring makaangat dahil sa taas ng presyo,” he said.
Supporting a legislative measure filed by Senator Erwin Tulfo, Aquino expressed strong backing for removing the system’s loss charge and its associated Value Added Tax (VAT) from consumers’ monthly power bills. Removing system’s loss charges could save Filipino families roughly 5.6% on their electricity bills, but Aquino argued that the government should consider going even further.
“Nababa na po yung VAT sa system’s loss…Maganda po yan at ‘yan makakatulong sa mga pamilyang Pilipino. Pero nabanggit ko na rin po noon na baka posible ring talakayin o posible ring tingnan ang pagtanggal ng VAT sa buong electricity bill mismo and this will redown to a discount or to a savings of 12% of our electricity bill,” he added.
Beyond power rates, Aquino highlighted the relentless rise in global crude prices, noting that world market prices have breached $80 per barrel for over 30 consecutive days the trigger threshold established in recent legislation granting the President authority to suspend fuel taxes.
The senator urged the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to immediately recommend the suspension of excise taxes and VAT on gasoline, dieseland LPG before the emergency power expires at the end of the year.
“Sa amin pong computation, pag tinanggal ang excise tax at VAT sa diesel, P17 po per liter ang posibleng maging savings po natin. Sa gasolina almost P20 po ang pwede pong ma-save per liter ng isang mamimili,” he explained.
Closing his intervention, Aquino calls the government agencies to act, urging them to implement these relief measures immediately.
“Panahon na po na bawasan natin ang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan at nananawagan po tayo sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno na kumilos naibaba ang presyo ng bilihin pagdating sa petrolyo at ang presyo ng kuryente. Alam ko po ito ang hinahanap ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
