ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: ONGCHUAN BACKS MARCOS CALL TO SCRAP SYSTEMS LOSS CHARGES

by Miriam G. Desacada

Tacloban City— The clamor finally broke through the walls of Batasang Pambansa.  

Northern Samar Congressman Edwin Ongchuan, Vice Chair of the House Committee on Energy, stood and applauded as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dropped a bombshell during his 5th State of the Nation Address on July 27, 2026, Enough is, Enough the people will no longer pay for systems loss.

The hall erupted. A lengthy standing ovation shook the chamber as the President declared:

“And if we are talking about lowering prices, I believe it is time to remove the systems loss charge that is being passed on to consumers.

 Therefore, we, the people, request — no, we DEMAND — for the immediate amendment of EPIRA and to prohibit charging systems loss against consumers, including the VAT thereon.”

For millions of Filipinos drowning in electric bills, it felt like the first breath of relief in 25 years.

“IT IS ABOUT TIME” 

Cong. Ongchuan, whose 2nd District of Northern Samar has long suffered from crippling power costs, did not mince words.

“It is about time to revisit the EPIRA Law so that it can be aligned with the needs of the people today. As the representative of the 2nd District of Northern Samar, I will support the amendment to the EPIRA Law,” he said.

This wasn’t a sudden stance. Long before the President’s ultimatum, Ongchuan had already been in the trenches — filing resolutions to ease fuel price shocks in SPUG areas and probing shady electricity line rental charges that have bled Eastern Visayas dry.

His fingerprints are also on *Republic Act No. 12316 the Suspension of Excise Taxes on Petroleum Products Act — a law that gave struggling families a temporary lifeline at the pump.

FROM POLICY TO POWER PLANTS:

But Ongchuan isn’t just fighting to cut costs. He’s fighting to create power.  

As governor from 2019 to 2025, he opened the “Green Lane” for renewable energy in Northern Samar.

 The result:  

1. 304-MW Gemini Wind Power Project — 38 new 8-MW turbines rising alongside 33 existing 6.25-MW turbines, stretching from Calbayog City to San Isidro.

2. 200-MW Allen Wind Energy Project — by Vivant Energy, spanning Allen, Victoria, and Lavezares.

Jobs. Investments. Energy independence. That’s the future Ongchuan is building for a province long left in the dark.

THE LAW THAT STARTED IT ALL:

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, or EPIRA, was supposed to bring competition and lower prices. Instead, for years, consumers were forced to shoulder “systems loss” — paying for electricity that never even reached their homes.

Now, with the President’s demand and lawmakers like Ongchuan pushing from Congress, that era may finally be over.

The message from Batasang Pambansa was clear:  

“The burden ends here. The people come first”.