PSALM ADVISORY TO COLLECTING ENTITIES (CES) OF UNIVERSAL CHARGES (UC) RE SUSPENSION OF COLLECTION OF UC FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHARGE (UC-EC)

11 June 2020

This is in reference to the Advisory of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) dated 22 May 2020 on the suspension of the collection of UC-EC equivalent to PhP0.0025/kWh. PSALM hereby issues the following policies, as duly clarified by the ERC, for the guidance of the CEs:

1. ALL CES nationwide, including the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGO), shall suspend the collection of UC-EC from its end users effective 22 May 2020, until further notice from the ERC
2. This suspension shall be applied PROSPECTIVELY to the UC-EC pertaining to the billing period after the 22 May 2020 Advisory of the ERC and onwards.
3. UC-EC pertaining to billing periods prior to 22 May 2020 shall still be billed, collected and remitted to PSALM. It is worth emphasizing that all UC-EC collections made by the CES for UC-EC due for such billing periods prior to 22 May 2020 shall be remitted to PSALM even if the collections are after the date of the aforementioned suspension by the ERC.
4. To monitor compliance with the ERC Advisory, CES are required to submit to PSALM, not later than 30 July 2020, three (3) certified true copies of power bills issued to end-users, one (1) for each type of end-users (residential, commercial and industrial) during the month of initial implementation of the suspension of UC-EC collection. Such power bills must show zero (0) UC-EC.

For the CES' strict compliance.

Signed this 11 June 2020 in Quezon City, Philippines

PSALM ADVISORY TO ITS STAKEHOLDERS RE BILLING

6 May 2020

The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (“PSALM”) earlier issued its Advisories to Stakeholders dated 26 March 2020, 2 April and 17 April 2020 (“PSALM Advisories”) pursuant to the Government’s declaration of a State of Calamity throughout the Philippines in Proclamation No. 929 dated 16 March 2020, the advisories of the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”) dated 17 and 26 March 2020 and 15 April 2020, and the advisories of the Department of Energy (“DOE”) dated 18 and 23 March 2020 and 16 April 2020 (“ERC and DOE Advisories”).

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 112 dated 30 April 2020, the enhanced community quarantine (“ECQ”) in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in high risk geographical areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao has been extended up to 15 May 2020 by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to curb the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”). The ERC then issued its Advisory dated 5 May 2020, amending some items in its Advisory dated 15 April 2020.

The pertinent dates and deadlines mentioned in the PSALM Advisory dated 17 April 2020 shall continue to be effective and applicable to all its power customers, Universal Charge (UC) collecting entities (CEs) and IPPAs operating in areas that are placed under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) starting 1 May 2020.

Meanwhile, in order to implement the ERC Advisory dated 5 May 2020, PSALM hereby issues the following policies that shall be applicable only to those power customers, UC CEs and IPPAs that continue to be under ECQ from 1 May 2020 up to 15 May 2020:

1. Payment of all fees to PSALM on regular power bills (PB), Deferred Accounting Adjustments (DAA) on GRAM and ICERA, ACRM True-up Adjustments, remittances entitled to prompt payment discount (PPD), Restructured Accounts (RA) on power, and Ancillary Services (AS) payments due from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), falling due during the ECQ period of up to 15 May 2020, shall be entitled to a grace period, without imposing any interest and penalties, following the extended due dates as indicated below. For this purpose, the accumulated (deferred) amount of payments to PSALM falling due within the ECQ shall be amortized in four (4) equal monthly installments, payable in the four (4) succeeding billing months following the end of the ECQ. The installments shall be reflected as a separate item in the PSALM billings due on those succeeding months.
   
   The Table below provides the details of PSALM’s power and ancillary services billings within the ECQ period and their corresponding extended due dates:
   
   TABLE 1: PSALM’s Billings on Power and Ancillary Services Due Within the ECQ Period & their Extended Due Dates
   

   Type of Bill	Billing Period	Original Due Date	Due Date/s in view of the Extended ECQ	Payments Due
   FEBRUARY BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	February 2020	28 February 2020	N.A.	N.A.
   DAA/ACRM only – with PPD	February 2020	10 March 2020	N.A.	N.A.
   Regular PB – PPD (Luzon and Visayas)	26 Jan. to 25 Feb. 2020	13 March 2020	N.A.	N.A.
   Regular PB - PPD (Mindanao)	26 Jan. to 25 Feb. 2020	18 March 2020	N.A.	N.A.
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 Jan. to 25 Feb. 2020	25 March 2020	8 June, 25 June, 24 July, 25 August 2020	Deferred PB consolidated with PB due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	February 2020	25 March 2020	8 June, 25 June, 24 July, 25 August 2020	Deferred DAA/ACRM consolidated with DAA/ACRM due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   NGCP Ancillary Services (AS)	26 Jan. to 25 Feb. 2020	31 March 2020	28 June, 30 June, 31 July, 31 August 2020	Deferred AS consolidated with AS due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   MARCH BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	March 2020	31 March 2020	1 June, 30 June, 31 July, 31 August 2020	Deferred RA consolidated with RA due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   DAA/ACRM only - with PPD	March 2020	10 April 2020	1 June 2020 (full amount of DAA/ACRM originally due 10 April 2020)	Deferred DAA/ACRM to be paid in full
   Regular PB – PPD	26 Feb. to 25 March 2020	15 April 2020	1 June 2020 (full amount of Regular PB originally due 15 April 2020)	Deferred PB to be paid in full
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 Feb. to 25 March 2020	24 April 2020	8 June, 25 June, 24 July, 25 August 2020	Deferred PB consolidated with PB due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	March 2020	24 April 2020	8 June, 25 June, 24 July, 25 August 2020	Deferred DAA/ACRM consolidated with DAA/ACRM due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   NGCP AS	26 Feb. to 25 March 2020	30 April 2020	8 June, 30 June, 31 July, 31 August 2020	Deferred AS consolidated with AS due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   APRIL BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	April 2020	30 April 2020	1 June 2020, 30 June, 31 July, 31 August 2020	Deferred RA consolidated with RA due within ECQ, payable in 4 equal monthly installments
   DAA/ACRM only - with PPD	April 2020	8 May 2020	1 June 2020 (full amount of DAA/ACRM originally due 8 May 2020)	April DAA/ACRM billing to be paid in full
   Regular PB – PPD	26 March to 25 April 2020	15 May 2020	1 June 2020 (full amount of Regular PB originally due 15 May 2020)	April PB to be paid in full
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 March to 25 April 2020	25 May 2020	8 June 2020	April PB + 1st of 4 installments of deferred consolidated PBs
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	April 2020	25 May 2020	8 June 2020	April DAA/ACRM billing + 1st of 4 installments of deferred consolidated DAA/ACRM billings
   NGCP AS	26 March to 25 April 2020	29 May 2020	8 June 2020	April AS billing + 1st of 4 installments of deferred consolidated AS billings
   MAY BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	May 2020	29 May 2020	1 June 2020	May RA billing + 1st of 4 installments of deferred consolidated RA
   DAA/ACRM only - with PPD	May 2020	10 June 2020	15 June 2020 (full amount of DAA/ACRM originally due 10 June 2020)	May DAA/ACRM billing to be paid in full
   Regular PB – PPD	26 April to 25 May 2020	15 June 2020	15 June 2020	May PB to be paid in full
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 April to 25 May 2020	25 June 2020	25 June 2020	May PB + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated PBs
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	May 2020	25 June 2020	25 June 2020	May DAA/ACRM billing + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated DAA/ACRM billings
   NGCP AS	26 April to 25 May 2020	30 June 2020	30 June 2020	May AS billing + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated AS billings
   JUNE BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	June 2020	30 June 2020	30 June 2020	June RA billing + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated RA
   DAA/ACRM only - with PPD	June 2020	10 July 2020	10 July 2020	June DAA/ACRM billing to be paid in full
   Regular PB – PPD	26 May to 25 June 2020	15 July 2020	15 July 2020	June PB to be paid in full
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 May to 25 June 2020	24 July 2020	24 July 2020	June PB + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated PBs
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	June 2020	24 July 2020	24 July 2020	June DAA/ACRM billing + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated DAA/ACRM billings
   NGCP AS	26 May to 25 June 2020	31 July 2020	31 July 2020	June AS billing + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated AS billings
   JULY BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	July 2020	31 July 2020	31 July 2020	July RA billing + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred consolidated RA
   DAA/ACRM only - with PPD	July 2020	10 August 2020	10 August 2020	July DAA/ACRM billing to be paid in full
   Regular PB – PPD	26 June to 25 July 2020	14 August 2020	14 August 2020	July PB to be paid in full
   Regular PB – Non PPD	26 June to 25 July 2020	25 August 2020	25 August 2020	July PB + 4th of 4 installments of deferred consolidated PBs
   DAA/ACRM only – w/o PPD	July 2020	25 August 2020	25 August 2020	July DAA/ACRM billing + 4th of 4 installments of deferred consolidated DAA/ACRM billings
   NGCP AS	26 June to 25 July 2020	31 August 2020	31 August 2020	July AS billing + 4th of 4 installments of deferred consolidated AS billings
   AUGUST BILLINGS
   RA Monthly Amortization	August 2020	31 August 2020	31 August 2020	August RA billing + 4th of 4 installments of deferred

   
   The PPD shall apply to both the current power bill including deferred GRAM and ICERA and ACRM true-up adjustments, and deferred power bill and DAA/ACRM amounts, falling due on 15 March to 15 May 2020, if these are remitted to PSALM in full on the due dates indicated above for PPD. Those who opt to pay the deferred power bill and DAA/ACRM amounts in four (4) equal installments will no longer be entitled to avail of the PPD.
   
   Billings with due dates not falling within the ECQ period of up to 15 May 2020 and not covered by the DOE Advisories and ERC Advisories shall thus follow the original due dates, and the failure to pay on or before such original due dates shall incur interests and penalties pursuant to existing agreements and in accordance with the credit and collection policies of PSALM. This is based not just on the ERC and DOE Advisories but also on the relevant provisions of the contracts with PSALM including the force majeure provisions.
   
   
2. For the Universal Charges (UC) collected by Collecting Entities (CEs) that are in the areas covered by the ECQ up to 15 May 2020 covering Missionary Electrification (ME), Environmental Charge for Watershed Rehabilitation and Management (EC) and Stranded Debts (SD), to be remitted to PSALM as the UC Administrator, the CEs are expected to implement the same grace period and payment scheme, as provided in item 1 above, to all electricity end-users in compliance with the ERC and DOE Advisories re ECQ Extension. In this regard, PSALM shall likewise grant the same grace period to CEs, without imposing any interest and penalties, on UC remittances falling due within the ECQ period. In turn, PSALM’s disbursements thereof to UC beneficiaries falling due within the ECQ period shall also be following the same grace period or number of days as given to CEs. The UC remittances to PSALM and PSALM’s disbursements of the UC remittances due during the ECQ Period of up to 15 May 2020 are provided in Tables 2 and 3 below:
   
   TABLE 2: Collecting Entities’ UC Remittances to PSALM Due Within the ECQ Period & their Extended Due Dates
   

   UC Collection Period	Original Due Date	Due Date/s in view of the Extended ECQ	Remittances Due to PSALM
   February	16 March 2020	15 June, 15 July, 15 August and 15 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   March	15 April 2020	15 June, 15 July, 15 August and 15 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   April	15 May 2020	15 June, 15 July, 15 August, and 15 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   May	15 June 2020	15 June 2020	Current + 1st of 4 installments of deferred amount
   June	15 July 2020	15 July 2020	Current + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred amount
   July	15 August 2020	15 August 2020	Current + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred amount
   August	15 September 2020	15 September 2020	Current + 4th of 4 installments of deferred amount

   
   TABLE 3: PSALM’s Disbursements to UC Beneficiaries for UC Due Within the ECQ Period
   

   UC Collection Period	Original Due Date	Due Date/s in view of the Extended ECQ	Disbursements Due to UC Beneficiaries
   February	20 March 2020	22 June, 20 July, 20 August & 21 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   March	20 April 2020	22 June, 20 July, 20 August & 21 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   April	20 May 2020	22 June, 20 July, 20 August & 21 September 2020	Deferred; payable in 4 installments
   May	22 June 2020	22 June 2020	Current + 1st of 4 installments of deferred amount
   June	20 July 2020	20 July 2020	Current + 2nd of 4 installments of deferred amount
   July	20 August 2020	20 August 2020	Current + 3rd of 4 installments of deferred amount
   August	21 September 2020	21 September 2020	Current + 4th of 4 installments of deferred amount

   
   UC remittances by CEs to PSALM and UC disbursements by PSALM to beneficiaries that are not falling due within the ECQ period of up to 15 May 2020, shall follow the usual due dates. The CEs’ failure to pay on or before such due dates shall incur interests and penalties.
   
   
3. Anent the PSALM Advisory to its Stakeholders Re Submission of 2019 Universal Charge (UC) Annual Reports and March 2020 Billing, Collection/Remittance Reports and Special Bank Receipts (SBRs) dated 02 April 2020, PSALM also hereby extends the deadlines for the submission of the following UC reports to those CEs that operate in areas under ECQ up to 15 May 2020:
   
   TABLE 4: Extended Deadlines for the Submission of UC Reports
   

   Period	UC Reports	Original Due Date	Extended Due Date
   CY 2019	Annual Audit Report	30 April 2020	01 June 2020
   February 2020	Billing Report	20 March 2020	1 June 2020
   	Collection/Remittance and SBRs Reports	16 March 2020
   March 2020	Billing Reports	20 April 2020	1 June 2020
   	Collection/Remittance and SBRs Reports	15 April 2020
   April 2020	Billing Reports	20 May 2020	1 June 2020
   	Collection/Remittance and SBRs Reports	15 May 2020

   
   Deadlines for the submission of reports to PSALM that are not falling due within the ECQ period shall follow the usual due dates, and failure to submit on or before such due dates shall incur interests and penalties.
   
   
4. Due dates for payments of Independent Power Producer Administrators (IPPAs) to PSALM that fell due after the issuance of the PSALM Advisory of 26 March 2020 and up to 14 April 2020, for both capacity and energy payments, were extended by the said PSALM advisory. Subsequently, all payments of IPPAs to PSALM were extended by the PSALM Advisory dated 17 April 2020. Thus, for clarity, all IPPAs shall continue to follow the deadlines mentioned in the PSALM Advisory dated 17 April 2020. It is only when it can be sufficiently shown to the satisfaction of PSALM that an IPPA supplies electric energy to a DU that serves an area that remains under ECQ beyond 30 April 2020, that a proportionate amount of the payments due PSALM from the said IPPA can be deferred and subjected to the extensions mentioned in this latest PSALM Advisory. To be clear, payments from DUs that serve areas that are no longer under ECQ beyond 30 April 2020 shall correspondingly be remitted by these IPPAs to PSALM no later than the extended deadlines mentioned in the PSALM Advisory dated 17 April 2020.


5. Consistent with the ERC and DOE Advisories intending to lessen the impact of the grace period given to electricity power industry stakeholders and to help manage the cashflow in the energy supply chain to ensure the continuous supply of electricity, PSALM strongly reiterates its requirement to power customers, CEs, NGCP and IPPAs to immediately remit to PSALM any proportionate amounts that they may have already collected from their own customers, if any, without awaiting the extended due dates provided in Items 1 and 2 above. Customers who have the ability to pay are encouraged to continue to timely settle their bills with PSALM within the original due dates.

Matters contained in the PSALM Advisories of 26 March 2020 and 02 and 17 April 2020 that are not amended by, or inconsistent with, this Advisory shall remain valid. The PSALM Advisory dated 17 April 2020 shall be applicable to those power customers, UC CEs and IPPAs operating in areas under ECQ up to 30 April 2020, while this instant PSALM Advisory shall be applicable to those operating in NCR and in high risk areas in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that continue to be under ECQ until 15 May 2020.

PSALM will issue the necessary supplemental or amendatory advisories should there be further updates or amendment to the Advisories issued by the ERC and DOE, or if there are instructions or decisions that will be issued by the PSALM Board of Directors relative to the Advisories of PSALM.

Signed this on 6 May 2020 in Quezon City, Philippines