With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. set to deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, consumer advocacy group ILAW Pilipinas is urging the administration to put electricity affordability, power reliability, and stronger accountability in the power sector at the centre of its agenda.

In an open letter released ahead of the annual address, ILAW said consumers continue to grapple with high electricity costs and unreliable power service despite the government’s efforts to expand generation and accelerate renewable energy deployment.

The appeal builds on commitments made during Marcos’ 2025 SONA, where he pledged to expand the Lifeline Rate subsidy, increase power generation capacity, accelerate renewable energy adoption through programmes such as net metering, and bring electricity to more underserved households through solar home systems–initiatives aimed at supporting economic growth and improving Filipinos’ quality of life.

ILAW said those priorities remain relevant but argued that more decisive action is needed as global market volatility and domestic challenges continue to drive up electricity costs.

 “Since then, however, global market volatility and persistent domestic challenges have underscored the need to move with greater urgency to strengthen our energy sector.” the group said in a statement. “While government interventions have helped cushion the impact of rising energy costs, many Filipino households and businesses continue to bear the burden of higher electricity bills along with greater cost of living.”

The group’s appeal comes as consumer organisations have intensified calls for electricity reforms ahead of the SONA. Earlier this week, the Power for People Coalition (P4P) warned that rising power rates are compounding the cost-of-living pressures on Filipino households, and urged the government to strengthen consumer protection, tighten oversight of the power sector and adopt long-term policies that shield consumers from recurring electricity price increases.

ILAW also called for reforms in how the National Electrification Administration (NEA) evaluates electric cooperatives, arguing that current performance ratings fail to reflect consumers’ day-to-day experience with recurring scheduled and unscheduled power interruptions.

Instead of relying primarily on technical reliability indicators, ILAW said service assessments should include consumer-focused metrics.

“A truly responsive performance framework should also consider complaint resolution, billing transparency, consumer satisfaction, communication during service interruptions, and other measures that directly reflect the quality of service received by the public,” the group said.

The organisation urged NEA to consult electric cooperatives, consumer groups and local communities as it reviews its evaluation framework, while calling on Congress to strengthen oversight by making consumer participation and public accountability key considerations in franchise reviews and renewals.

ILAW likewise pressed the administration to tackle the broader components of electricity bills, saying efforts to reduce power costs should extend beyond increasing supply.

“Affordable electricity extends beyond supply alone. It requires a thorough review of taxes, charges, and pass-through costs that weigh heavily on Filipino households,” the group statement read.

The group also proposed institutionalising regular dialogue among government agencies, power providers, electric cooperatives and consumer organisations to ensure energy policies reflect consumers’ concerns.

ILAW said it will release a Consumer Report Card on the Energy Agenda in the coming weeks based on nationwide focus group discussions and community engagements, adding that future energy policies should ultimately be judged by their impact on affordability, service reliability, transparency and accountability.

What energy priorities do you think President Marcos should highlight in this year’s SONA? Join the discussion.

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