#wegotmail: Mindanao Alliance for Progress statement on the January 2026 electricity rate increase

A P2.00 per kilowatt-hour increase is not a small adjustment. For many families, it is the difference between paying the full bill on time and falling behind. Yet Davao Light’s explanation for this sudden hike is wrapped in technical terms that most consumers simply do not understand.

Words like Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, Green Energy Auction Allowance, and ERC case numbers may make sense to industry insiders, but they mean nothing to a household opening a higher electric bill at the end of the month. 

What people want — and deserve — is a clear, honest explanation of why they are being asked to pay more.

Don’t hide behind jargon. Don’t expect ordinary consumers to decode technical language just to understand what happened to their bill. 

Explain, in plain Filipino or plain English, where the extra P2.00 per kWh is going. Spell out how much is due to outages, how much comes from spot market prices, and how much is tied to green energy charges.

Telling people to “save electricity” while raising rates feels disconnected from reality. Many households are already conserving because they have no choice. 

Transparency is not just about compliance — it is about respect.

If this increase is necessary, then explain it clearly. Speak to consumers as people, not as engineers or regulators. 

At a time when every peso matters, clarity and honesty are the least the public can expect.

- Mindanao Alliance for Progress