Outgoing Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairperson Monalisa Dimalanta said the body aims to complete several regulatory actions before her resignation takes effect on Aug. 8, 2025.
These actions include finalizing 17 ancillary services procurement agreement (ASPA) decisions, issuing 15 provisional authorities for Luzon-based cooperatives involving competitive selection processes (CSPs) and releasing several show cause orders, Dimalanta said over the weekend.
Dimalanta assured the public the commission remains fully operational, with transition efforts underway.
“We will continue to function according to our mandate until such time that the new set of commissioners come in,” Dimalanta said, adding that the commission maintains its legal authority as long as a quorum of three members is present.
“As long as the commission still has three members, there is a quorum, and there is legal mandate for the commission to function,” she said.
“We continue to report to the office every day and continue to work, and then we are working on a smooth transition to the incoming set of Commissioners and Chairperson,” she said.
Malacañang announced the appointment of Francis Saturnino Juan as the incoming ERC chairperson, along with Amante Liberato and Paris Real as new commissioners.
During Dimalanta’s tenure, the ERC recorded the lowest generation rates in the first quarter of 2025 since a 2022 power surge. She attributed this decline to improved market conditions and stricter enforcement of accountability measures across industry participants.
She also highlighted the rollout of the Retail Aggregation Program (RAP), which allowed commercial consumers to pool electricity demand and negotiate more competitive rates.
Other reforms under her leadership included the ERC’s first-ever live-streamed commission meeting, a move aimed at promoting greater transparency in regulatory processes. The commission also launched a nationwide fuel cost audit in 2022, requiring utilities to justify fuel-related charges passed on to consumers.
Dimalanta said the review is ongoing and may result in refunds or penalties by year-end.
Dimalanta asked the public to allow the new leadership space to define their path and expressed hope that reforms under her term, particularly transparency and consumer protection, will continue.
“I think it’s only fair that we give the new set of Commissioners their own chance to prove themselves and to also exhibit where they would want to take this Commission,” she said.
