A measure seeking the implementation of a moratorium on payment of utility bills for victims of natural disasters to help them recover from their losses has been filed at the House of Representatives.
In House Bill (HB) 5318, Liberal Party Rep. Eric L. Olivarez of Parañaque City said every Filipino family becomes vulnerable to countless problems brought about by strong typhoons and/or other natural disasters.
Under HB 5318, persons affected by typhoons and other natural disasters in areas declared to be in a state of calamity will be granted a grace period of 60 days to pay utility bills that have fallen due during the time the area has been hit by a natural disaster or declared to be in a state of calamity.
As defined under the measure, natural disasters shall include typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and their analogous events.
The bill mandates the Department of Energy, National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of the Interior and Local Government in coordination with the concerned local government units to issue and promulgate the Implementing rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.
According to Olivarez, it takes a considerable number of months before the whole affected community could regain an ounce of strength to start recovering.
“In 2013 [Supertyphoon] Yolanda left hundreds of our fellow Filipinos homeless and thousands of them dead,” the lawmaker noted.
He said in a state of calamity, it is therefore understandable for those affected people to prioritize obligations and responsibilities one by one. “The affected area by such disaster is declared to be in a state of calamity by the proper authorities. Utility bills covered under this Act include water, electricity, telephone, Internet, cable and other similar bills,” Olivarez said.
Olivarez added that through the approval of the measure, the victims of typhoons and other fortuitous events would be able to focus on securing their basic and primary needs first before anything else.
“They will not have to worry about the due bills which they have to pay and so they can make use of their money, or what’s remaining thereof wisely,” Olivarez said.
Olivarez said during these moments, it is hard enough for the head of the family, or a person living alone, to recover from their losses. “It is the obligation of the State to help every one affected by such calamities and to lessen their burdens as much as possible,” he said.