SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta claimed on his television program that the Philippines has the highest electricity rate in Asia.
This is false. In 2024, the Philippines ranked third highest behind Singapore and Japan in terms of electricity cost in the continent.
STATEMENT
In the Jan. 14 episode of Sa Ganang Mamamayan on NET25, Marcoleta recounted his speech at the Jan. 13 rally of the religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), of which he is a member.
The lawmaker lamented that the House of Representatives has yet to act on 10 energy-related bills he had filed, some of which aimed to bring down power rates.
He said on the show:
“Samakatuwid, ang aking ginagawa ay sang-ayon sana sa kagustuhan ng batas, ipatupad natin. Eh, ang pagpapatupad, anong nangyari, tayo na ang pinakamataas ang singil ng kuryente sa buong Asya.”
(In short, what I’m trying to do is in line with the aspiration of the law, so let’s make that happen. Well, [nothing] happened with the implementation, so we now have the highest electricity rate in the whole of Asia.)
Source: Sa Ganang Mamamayan – January 14, 2025, Jan. 14, 2025, watch from 17:52 to 18:08
FACT
Marcoleta is wrong. The Philippines had the third highest electricity rates in Asia last year, according to data firm Global Petrol Prices which works with the International Monetary Fund and World Economic Forum.
The Philippines charged P11.34 ($ 0.19) per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Singapore ranked the highest at P14.00 ($0.239) per kWh, while Japan came in second at P 11.80 ($0.201).
As of January 2022, the Philippines had the second highest electricity rate in Southeast Asia, still trailing behind Singapore, according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Marcoleta has authored 11 bills relating to energy; one of which was signed into law known as the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act..
Marcoleta was a member of the House Committee on Energy and four other committees, but was unceremoniously removed last Sept. 25, 2024 following his defense of Vice President Sara Duterte when she was grilled in the Committee on Accounts public hearing on the alleged mispending of confidential and intelligence funds of her office.
Marcoleta is seeking a Senate seat as a guest candidate of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, the party of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
