Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) urges concrete solutions, decisive leadership beyond promises
July 28. 2025, Manila, Philippines – With another State of the Nation Address (SONA) on the horizon, consumer advocacy group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) calls on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to move past recycled assurances and deliver concrete solutions to the country’s deepening energy crisis.
“Another year, another SONA—Filipinos have grown weary of hearing repeated promises of affordable electricity, stable power supply, and improved infrastructure without experiencing tangible results,” said PARE Chief Advocate Officer Nic Satur Jr. “President Marcos must now demonstrate genuine accountability and decisive leadership to solve the longstanding problems plaguing our energy sector.”
PARE highlighted the persistent gap between President Marcos’ ambitious energy commitments—such as improved power transmission infrastructure, universal electrification by 2028, and increased renewable energy targets—and the realities on the ground. Consumers continue to suffer escalating electricity prices, grid instability, and widespread power outages largely due to delayed projects by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and inefficiencies in the energy sector.
“It’s high time President Marcos holds NGCP accountable for long project delays,” Satur stressed. “Critical transmission infrastructure must no longer be held hostage by delays that burden consumers nationwide.”
PARE also called attention to the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) quarterly Compliance Reports, which classify Electric Cooperatives (ECs) based on seven key performance indicators. While NEA reports suggest compliance and efficiency, grassroots experiences often tell a different story.
“For instance, Batangas Electric Cooperative (BATELEC II), Surigao del Sur II Cooperative, Inc. (SURSECO II), Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative ORMECO, Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) to name a few, consistently meets NEA’s compliance criteria, yet consumers suffer frequent brownouts and higher electricity rates compared to neighboring municipalities,” Satur pointed out. “We urge President Marcos to critically review NEA’s evaluation standards and ensure they accurately reflect consumer realities—not just bureaucratic metrics.”
The advocacy group further highlighted the ongoing chaos at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), emphasizing the urgency of stable, effective leadership at the regulatory level.
“President Marcos must swiftly resolve the leadership gaps at ERC, provide clear policy direction, and lower electricity prices by reducing our dangerous dependence on imported fossil fuels like diesel and coal,” said Satur. “Our vulnerability to global price shocks can only be mitigated by aggressive diversification into renewables and indigenous energy.”
PARE also stressed the urgency of restructuring excessive taxation on electricity and addressing unfair pass-on charges such as systems losses, emphasizing that these costs must be treated as business risks rather than consumer burdens.
“Consumers already face heavy inflationary pressures. It’s unjust that utilities pass business risks onto the public. It’s time to prioritize consumer welfare, not corporate profit margins,” Satur added.
PARE believes a progressive and consumer-centered energy sector is achievable through genuine leadership, effective policy implementation, and strict regulatory oversight.
“President Marcos, Filipinos expect more than words this SONA—we expect results. The Filipino people deserve affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, and we demand accountability from those entrusted to deliver it,” Satur concluded.
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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