Malacañang on Thursday sought to allay concerns of energy stakeholders following the call of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for companies to stop passing on system loss charges to consumers, including its accompanying value-added tax (VAT). (That’s a good sign, although this will still undergo a lot of study and many may be affected. In his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. called on both chambers of Congress to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to remove the system loss charges. System loss refers to electricity or other utilities lost during transmission and distribution, whether caused by technical issues or illegal acts such as use of "jumpers" or pilferage. The objective is to lower the electricity rates and I ask for patience and cooperation of all stakeholders while we craft the policies," Castro said, reading a message from Garin.