Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill seeking to abolish the system loss charge in electricity bills, following a call by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Gatchalian introduced the proposed “System Loss Charge Abolition Act” (Senate Bill No. 2350), which aims to remove charges passed on to consumers for electricity that is lost during transmission and distribution.

“Hindi na dapat pinagbabayad ang mga konsyumer sa kuryenteng hindi naman nila nagamit,” Gatchalian said.

The senator said eliminating the system loss charge would be a concrete step toward reducing electricity costs for Filipino households.

“Ang pagtanggal ng hindi makatarungang system loss charge ay isang kongkretong hakbang para mapababaang binabayaran sa kuryente ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

Marcos, in his SONA, urged lawmakers to review and amend existing policies to ease the burden of high power costs on consumers, including the possible removal of system loss charges.

Under current regulations, distribution utilities are allowed to pass on a portion of system losses—such as technical losses and pilferage—to consumers, subject to regulatory caps.

The proposed measure is expected to be taken up in Congress as part of broader efforts to address rising electricity rates in the country.