26/07/2025
SANA GANITO SA BUONG PILIPINAS!
Good job Gov. Paolo Javier!
𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐲
In a bold and unprecedented move, the Province of Antique has launched a landmark Provincial Electricity Subsidy Program—the first of its kind in Region VI. Spearheaded by Governor Paolo Javier, the initiative positions Antique as a trailblazer in social welfare and energy affordability in the Visayas, outpacing even the wealthiest provinces in Western Visayas.
While other provinces like Iloilo and Negros Occidental offer Lifeline discounts, which are a nationally mandated subsidy for low-income electricity consumers, Antique goes further. It is the only province in Panay Island to implement a province-wide, direct monetary electricity subsidy for all consumers, regardless of income classification.
𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐩𝐭
The idea was born during Javier’s 2025 midterm campaign, where he vowed to deliver a tangible, people-centered energy relief program to the Antiqueños. True to his word, the newly elected governor highlighted the program during his inaugural address on June 30, 2025, held at the public park named after his uncle, Antique former governor and local hero Evelio B. Javier. The setting was symbolic, reflecting both legacy and bold beginnings.
Javier’s electoral victory was decisive. With 146,177 votes, he outpaced his closest rivals: Tan with 98,994 and Denosta with 50,774. The landslide win spoke volumes about the public's yearning for youthful, transformative leadership.
𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞
Funded through Antique’s national wealth share from the Semirara Mining and Power Corporation in Semirara Island, Caluya, the subsidy serves as a direct intervention to offset the rising cost of electricity—a burden felt most acutely in rural and island communities.
Unlike the Lifeline Rate Program, which offers limited discounts to select 4Ps beneficiaries (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program), Antique’s initiative covers all residential consumers. This is a notable departure from the usual subsidy models which rely on cross-subsidization, where large industrial and commercial users indirectly fund the discounts granted to seniors and the poor under rules set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
In Western Visayas, Antique also has a high number of 4Ps enrollees, making it a natural test bed for expanded subsidy programs. What sets this effort apart, however, is its universality and strong political will. It proves that even a modest province can make bold, progressive choices when leadership aligns with public need.
𝐀 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬
Antique’s Provincial Electricity Subsidy Program may well become a blueprint for other local government units (LGUs) to follow. In a country where energy poverty often constrains household livelihoods, the program offers more than economic relief; it offers hope. It shows that a provincial government, even with limited resources, can prioritize its people with creativity and commitment.
As the lights stay on in Antique’s households, thanks to the coal beneath its soil and the leaders who chose to invest its profits wisely, this quiet revolution in public service sends a powerful message across the archipelago: where there is political will, progress follows.
- PIO
