MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a measure seeking to impose a price ceiling on electricity rates during declared states of emergency or calamity to protect consumers from steep increases in power costs.

Senate Bill No. 2361 proposes amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), authorizing the President to impose a mandatory price cap on electricity rates during energy emergencies to prevent what the senator described as “bill shock.”

“Hindi dapat hayaang walang kontrol ang pagtaas ng singil sa kuryente lalo na sa panahon ng krisis. Lahat apektado dito, even middle-income families are already struggling with the cost of food, transportation, medicine, and other basic needs. They should not be forced to absorb one power-rate increase after another,” Hontiveros said.

“With this bill, the President can set a mandatory price cap as a direct measure to curb rising electricity costs due to external circumstances during a state of emergency or calamity – such as the ongoing national energy emergency,” she furthered.

The proposed legislation comes as the country remains under a State of National Energy Emergency declared on March 24, 2026. According to Hontiveros, electricity prices have continued to increase since then, with the Philippines recording the highest average residential power rate in Southeast Asia last month.

Aside from authorizing a price ceiling, the bill provides for an automatic 90-day moratorium on electricity disconnections during emergencies. It also allows the President to require distribution utilities to offer deferred payment schemes for residential consumers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The measure further seeks to ease the burden on consumers disputing unusually high or erroneous electricity charges by allowing them to provisionally pay only the average of their monthly bills for the preceding three months while their complaints are being resolved.

“Hindi dapat maging default policy na piliting magbayad ng buo ang konsyumer bago ma-resolve ang reklamo nila. During an emergency, the power must stay on and consumers must be treated fairly. No more collect first, review later practice,” Hontiveros said.

The bill also proposes the creation of an independent Consumer Advocacy Office under the Department of Trade and Industry to represent consumers in proceedings involving electricity rates, franchises, and Energy Regulatory Commission rulemaking affecting the price, quality, or availability of electric service.

“Electricity is an essential service, not a luxury. We must pass this bill to immediately provide relief to Pinoy families, for whom paying monthly power bills has become an unbearable financial burden,” Hontiveros said.