Residents in Davao City brace for the recent increase of electricity rates at 34.8% implemented by Davao Light Power Corporation, Inc. seven months earlier. To cushion the blow, Davao Light secured approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to defer a portion of the generation charge, spreading recovery beginning August until December. “The people have the right to know why their electricity bills continue to increase month after month. It is time for Davao Light to answer the questions of the public,” he said in a Facebook post. He called for repealing EPIRA, removing value-added tax on electricity, and strengthening regulation of power utilities.