Cagayan de Oro Expands Assistance Program to 19,000 Indigent Residents with Power Subsidies
CAGAYAN DE ORO – In a significant move to aid the underprivileged, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Northern Mindanao (DSWD-10), in collaboration with the Cagayan de Oro Power and Light Company, Inc. (Cepalco), has initiated an expansion of its assistance program aimed at benefiting 19,013 indigent residents. This expansion was officially launched on Friday, marking a new chapter in the partnership between the governmental body and the power distribution firm.
According to Philippines News Agency, the focal person for DSWD-10’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), this enhanced cooperation falls under the Lifeline Rate Power Aid Program. The initiative seeks to subsidize the utility bills of indigent residents, with funding provided by the Department of Energy. “Eligible beneficiaries are primarily sourced from our 4Ps list, but the program is also accessible to other non-4Ps beneficiaries,” Inodeo explained during an interview. This approach aims to broaden the scope of support to include a wider array of individuals living below the poverty line.
The collaboration between DSWD-10 and Cepalco is guided by the updated provisions of Republic Act 11552, which amends Section 73 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9136). This amendment enhances and extends the implementation of the Lifeline Rate, a measure designed to assist those enrolled in the 4Ps cash transfer program and others certified by the local social welfare development office as living below the poverty threshold, according to criteria set by the Philippine Statistics Authority. This adjustment represents a shift from the previous policy, where households or establishments consuming less than 100 kilowatts per hour were automatically eligible for the subsidy, aiming instead to extend benefits to a broader demographic.
As of the program’s launch, 300 4Ps beneficiaries and an additional 185 non-4Ps poor households have successfully registered as qualified marginalized end-users with Cepalco. Kenneth Haze Lustre, the 4Ps regional program coordinator, highlighted the importance of eligible beneficiaries applying through private distribution utilities such as Cepalco and those in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental, to avail themselves of the offered subsidies.
This initiative represents a pivotal effort to alleviate the financial burdens of the indigent population in Northern Mindanao, ensuring that more families have access to essential utility services.