Nearly every household today is grappling with the high cost of living, a burden that's especially felt by those who rely solely on their daily earnings.

Rosalinda ‘Inday’ Bangcaya, a 46-year-old working mother, relies on every peso she earns from her side hustle of doing the laundry to cover her two children’s school allowance and their daily sustenance.

“Kalisod gid kang pangabuhi. Wara pa sa bugas, wara pa sa allowance ka mga bata (Our living is very tight. With the price of rice and the allowance of my children),” Inday, as she is fondly called in their community, shared the struggle in meeting the needs of her family.

Hence, the government's Lifeline Rate Subsidy program will provide relief for their expenses, especially in terms of their electricity bill.

“Nami gid kay makapahagan-hagan sa bulsa. Imbes nga pambayad sa kuryente, magamit ko para sa anda allowance (It will ease our pocket. Instead of using the money to pay for electricity, I may use it already for the allowance of my children),” she gladly said.

Based on the DSWD 6 report, the Bangcaya family is just one of the 328,239 households benefiting from the 4Ps program as of August 2023. They are also among the 536,998 households in Western Visayas categorized as poor under the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) also known as the Listahanan 3.0 of July 2022.  

These households are eligible to participate in the program as outlined in Republic Act No. 11552, which was enacted in May 2021. The act extends and improves the implementation of the Lifeline Rate, enabling families like the Bangcayas to qualify for the program and ensuring they continue to receive discounts on their electricity bills.

They primarily use their electricity connection to operate two 13-watt rechargeable LED bulbs for lighting their home and to charge their mobile devices.

Moreover, Engr.Maleza reminded the qualified household beneficiaries to register in order to avail the government program.

“Although you are members of the 4Ps, still you must be registered or get enlisted through your respective power distribution utilities (DUs) or electric cooperatives (ECs) to be included in the program,” Maleza emphasized.

To apply for the Lifeline Rate program, households that are beneficiaries of 4Ps need to submit a duly accomplished application form, their most recent electricity bill, and a valid government-issued identification card (ID) that includes their signature and address to their Distribution Utilities (DUs) or Electric Cooperatives (ECs).

On the other hand, other marginalized end-users who are not part of the 4Ps beneficiaries but are part of households listed by the DSWD must provide a certification from their local Social Welfare Development Office (SWDO), issued within six months prior to the application, indicating their family income at the time of application. They also need to submit a duly accomplished form, their most recent electricity bill, and a government-issued ID with their signature and address to their DUs.

For concerns and other queries of the ANTECO power consumers, they may visit the nearest branch office in their area or contact the EC through these phone numbers (036) 540-9684 or (036) 541-6360.

Power consumers in other areas of the region may contact their respective DUs or ECs to inquire about the rate and registration process.

• Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO) 
  (036) 275-8327, hotline number 144, or Helpline: 09088914564
• Capiz Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CAPELCO) 
  (036) 634-0282 or 634-0623;

The ERC may also be reached through their Lifeline Program hotline number (02) 8689-5372 local 5222 for Pasig City, (63) 905-343-2292 for Cebu City, or (63) 956-305-3313 for Davao City.

Indeed, as the American philosopher Benjamin Franklin once said, "a penny saved is a penny earned." Every peso saved by individuals like Inday and other beneficiaries of this program can make a meaningful contribution to their financial well-being and provide much-needed relief to their budgets. (AAL/FRG/PIA6)