GOOD NEWS! PANGULONG DUTERTE, PINIRMAHAN NA ANG 'MURANG KURYENTE LAW', AT ANTI-OBSTRUCTION OF POWER LINES ACT

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law seeking to reduce electricity rates by allocating the government share from the Malampaya natural gas project in Palawan for the payment of debts of the National Power Corporation (Napocor).

Duterte signed Republic Act 11371 on August 8, a copy of which was released on Tuesday.

Under this measure, P208 billion from the net government share of the Malampaya funds will be allocated to pay for the stranded contract costs and stranded debts of the NPC that are being passed on to consumers.

Once implemented, the law’s main author Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said it will translate to a P172 worth of savings for a household consuming an average of 200 kilowatts per hour every month.

Under the law, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will provide a timely release of the amounts allocated and appropriated to the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) in accordance with its debt and independent power producer payment schedule.

Duterte has also signed the Anti-Obstruction of Power Lines Act (Republic Act 11361).