Power to the People: The Relentless Fight for the Filipino Energy Consumer

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

In a landscape where electricity is more than just a utility—it is the lifeblood of the economy and a fundamental household necessity—one organization stands as a sentinel for the common citizen. Kuryente.org, a premier consumer rights and welfare organization, is redefining the power dynamic in the Philippines by championing a people-centered, transparent, and accountable energy sector.

The Voice in the Room

While energy policies are often debated in high-level boardrooms, Kuryente.org ensures the "public's voice" is heard where it matters most. Led by National Coordinator Jorge 'Bas' Umali—known to the digital world as the social media personality "Kuryentito"—the organization bridges the gap between complex regulation and everyday impact.

Umali is a constant fixture in the halls of governance, representing electricity consumers in critical House committee hearings, including:

Energy and Nuclear Energy 

Budget and Legislative Franchises 

Beyond the legislature, the organization works directly with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to advocate for the amendment of the Magna Carta for Electricity Consumers, ensuring that protections are not just theoretical but functional.

Strategic Advocacy and Action

Kuryente.org operates on the front lines of the energy crisis, producing timely analysis and insights on the issues that hit wallets the hardest. Their mission is built on four pillars of action:

Defending Rights: Protecting the welfare of every household paying into the power sector.

Building Bridges: Facilitating working relationships between government, industry, and civil society.

Policy Reform: Supporting changes that lower costs, expand energy choices, and improve system reliability.

Grassroots Engagement: Conducting regular consultations with local leaders and households to ensure the consumer agenda is grounded in reality.

A Media Powerhouse

From the pages of the Philippine Daily Inquirer to the airwaves of Super Radyo DZBB, Kuryente.org is a leading authority on energy sustainability and transparency. They have tackled the most pressing headlines of the decade, including:

Demanding transparency on Renewable Energy projects.

Engaging in dialogues regarding nuclear energy amidst national electricity crises.

Urging the deferment of charges to prioritize the Just Transition Bill.

Join the Movement

Kuryente.org remains open to expanding its impact through media interviews, op-ed contributions, and speaking engagements at seminars and forums. As the Philippines navigates a midterm shift and an evolving energy market, this organization remains dedicated to the belief that every story about power must involve the people who pay for it.

Contact Information:

* Email: kuryente.org@gmail.com * Phone: 09567126496 * Facebook: NGOkuryente 

Ramon Ang renews offer to sell Petron to government

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang renewed his offer to sell Petron Corporation back to the Philippine government, as the country navigates a national energy emergency and some lawmakers once again explore the possibility of returning the country’s only oil refinery to state hands.

“I first made this offer to Congress in 2021, and it remains open. If the government believes that Petron under its ownership will better serve the Filipino people especially in times like these, we are ready to sit down and make it happen,” Ang said.

He said the sale could be structured in tranches at fair market valuation so the government would not need to shoulder a lump-sum payment during a difficult fiscal period.

“We have never treated Petron as simply a profit center. We lost over P11 billion in 2020. We invested $2 billion to upgrade the Bataan refinery and kept it running even when it would have been easier to just import finished fuel, the way other oil companies chose to do. We did that because the country needs its own refining capacity. That has always been our reason,” he said.

With the Petron Bataan refinery processing 180,000 barrels per day and supplying roughly a third of national fuel demand, Ang noted that the facility’s importance to energy security has only grown amid the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz and record-high fuel prices.

“This is not about who owns Petron. This is about what is best for the country.”

New NAIA Expressway off-ramp to cut travel time to Terminal 3

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., along with SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang (right) and DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, leads Friday’s opening of the new NAIA Expressway off-ramp link to Terminal 3.

Motorists heading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 from the Skyway can now save about 15 to 25 minutes following the opening of a new off-ramp linking the NAIA Expressway directly to the terminal.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Thursday led the opening of the Andrews Avenue off-ramp, which is intended to ease congestion on a key approach to the airport by allowing vehicles to bypass a persistent bottleneck.

Built by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) through its infrastructure arm, the new link is expected to improve access to Terminal 3 ahead of the Holy Week travel peak, when passenger volumes at NAIA typically rise.

SMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang said traffic in the area had been causing delays of as much as 30 minutes over a one-kilometer stretch due to heavy vehicle density.

The project includes a 320-meter, two-lane off-ramp along Andrews Avenue in Pasay City, along with road widening works at the at-grade section near the Circulo del Mundo Rotonda.

It was completed in 12 months, faster than the original 36-month estimate, following coordination among construction teams, contractors, regulators and government agencies, including the Pasay City government, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon said the project forms part of the Marcos administration’s push to expand public-private partnerships for transport infrastructure. “The President has made clear that we must work hand in hand with the private sector to deliver projects that ease the burden of daily travel for our kababayans,” Dizon said.

PHOTOS:

NAIAx Andrews Avenue Toll Plaza

The off-ramp links NAIAx to Andrews Avenue leading directly to Terminal 3