The ranking may not hold every month, but the pressure on businesses is not going anywhere. The Department of Energy said the country posted the highest average residential electricity rate in Southeast Asia in June 2026, at P12.43 per kilowatt-hour. The DOE compares regional rates every month, she said, so the Philippines may not keep the top spot. The June ranking measured residential rates, but businesses draw from the same strained grid and then pay demand charges on top. For businesses, that has turned electricity from something you simply pay into something you have to manage.