TACLOBAN CITY — Electricity consumers will see higher transmission charges in their February 2026 power bills after rates for the January billing period increased by 13.55 percent, according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Data released by NGCP showed that the overall average transmission rate rose to P1.5279 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), up from P1.3455 per kWh in the previous billing period.

Of the total rate, the ancillary services (AS) charge accounts for P0.6736 per kWh. AS costs cover support services sourced from the reserve market and from providers with bilateral contracts with NGCP to maintain grid stability and reliability.

Meanwhile, NGCP’s transmission wheeling rate—or the fee charged for delivering electricity through the transmission grid—stands at P0.6921 per kWh.

“For the February 2026 electric bill of power consumers, NGCP charges only around 69 centavos per kWh for the delivery of its services,” the grid operator said, emphasizing that its revenues are regulated and capped by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Transmission charges for the January 2026 billing period are passed on to end-users by distribution utilities and electric cooperatives and are reflected in the February electricity bills.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The rollout of a digital skills passport by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has gained support from House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chair Rep. Jude Acidre, who said the initiative could help address persistent job-skills mismatch and underemployment among Filipino workers.

Acidre, co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), described the TESDA skills passport as a timely reform aligned with the commission’s final report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms,” which called for urgent improvements in the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system.

The online platform allows learners and workers to securely store their training records, national certificates, and competencies in digital form. It also links users to scholarship opportunities, job matching services, and further training programs.

“As the nature of work continues to change, our skills systems must move faster and become more responsive,” Acidre said, noting that digital tools can help ensure workers’ qualifications are visible, portable, and recognized by employers.

Data from EDCOM II showed that employment rates among TVET graduates increased to 58 percent from 37 percent before training, one year after completion—highlighting TVET’s potential as a pathway to employment. However, the report also flagged weak alignment between scholarships, certifications, and actual labor market requirements, which may leave some graduates underemployed.

Acidre said the skills passport responds to the commission’s call for a learner-centered and industry-aligned TVET system, but stressed that reforms must go beyond expanding training slots.

“The challenge now is not simply expanding training, but ensuring that every credential earned leads to real employment,” he said.

He also underscored the need to strengthen implementation of measures such as the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act, which promotes industry-led training, apprenticeships, and upskilling.

Acidre maintained that TVET should be positioned as a credible route to decent work rather than a fallback option to higher education.

“With the right tools and policies in place, we can ensure that Filipino learners are equipped for the future of work,” he said.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

NAVAL, Biliran – In its desire to increase the sales of agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations’ (ARBOs) products, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Biliran Provincial Office launched on Monday the “ARBOs Shelf.”

“ARBOs Shelf” is literally a shelf where products produced by the different ARBOs across the province are displayed for sale.

Maryvic Cempron, chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) at DAR Biliran, disclosed that Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II (PARPO II) Thelma Alba provided a corner near the office’s entrance for this purpose, to be visible for everyone, particularly visitors. A first in Eastern Visayas.

“This is one way of helping our ARBOs promote and market their products,” said Cempron. “Anyhow, it was we, in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), who helped them develop those products for their livelihood,” she added.

Initially, products that are currently available in the “shelf” are: coco vinegar produced by Villaconsuelo Tree Planters Agriculture Cooperative, ‘sapin-sapin’ (Imelda Agrarian Reform Cooperative), banana chips (Lico Agrarian Reform Cooperative), romblon bags (Looc Cabucgayan Agrarian Reform Cooperative), ‘atsara’, plain and spiced vinegar (Balaquid Agrarian Reform Cooperative), and other products within the agrarian reform community (ARC) areas.

During the opening day alone, the “shelf” was able to register P5,495 in sales from employees and clients.

Last year, ARBO products in said province were able to generate P2,758,458.40 through orders, trade fairs and by linking them to institutional buyers.

This year, Cempron stressed that DAR Biliran is looking forward to hit the P3-million mark by December. To achieve this, DAR-Biliran will soon be going online in marketing ARBO products.

Cempron’s division find ways to identify the necessary support services that would help agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) improve their quality of life through increased production and higher income. Every ARB is encouraged to join ARBO where various government assistance are being poured.

(JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)