Marcos to ERC: Study possible moratorium on electric bills in areas under state of calamity

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday tasked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to study the possible implementation of temporary relief when it comes to the electricity bill payments in areas placed under state of calamity.

“To aid in recovery efforts, the President directed the ERC to study the immediate implementation of a moratorium on electricity line disconnection and payment collection for the period October to December 2024 in areas under State of Calamity due to STS Kristine, and staggered payments of electricity for the said months, as necessary,” the statement, issued by the Presidential Communications Office, read.

The possible moratorium on electricity line disconnections and payment collections may be from October to December 2024.

A total of 125 people were reported dead amid the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storms Kristine and Leon, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier said.

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC also said that 28 people were reported missing and 115 were reported injured.

Government data showed that a total of 7,134,954 people or 1,789,276 families were affected by the weather disturbances in 17 regions in the country.

Floods and landslides were also reported in different areas.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News