The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is calling for heightened regulatory oversight of the nation’s power sector to curb market abuse and anticompetitive behavior.
Speaking at the Electricity Market Exchanges 2026, ERC Chair Francis Saturnino Juan emphasized that long-term vigilance is necessary due to the “high concentration of market power in the hands of a few participants.”
“[This is] to ensure that those with market power will not abuse that market power or resort to anticompetitive behavior …,” Juan said in his speech. “We should be more vigilant in our monitoring efforts, so we ensure that there remains to be competition happening and that prices are not unduly inflated to the detriment of our electricity consumers”.
The call follows ongoing efforts by regulators to investigate allegations of unfair competition involving major power industry players. To enhance its oversight capabilities, the ERC partnered with the Philippine Competition Commission in 2024 to pool resources, sharing critical industry data and insights to support antitrust investigations.
Beyond market regulation, Juan pointed to an urgent need to streamline regulatory timelines, describing the delay between market demand and agency approval as the “greatest disconnect” facing the industry.
“An investor makes a project decision in a competitive global capital environment. They need a regulatory answer in weeks, not years. For too long, the ERC’s processing timelines operated on a different clock entirely—and by the time a decision came, the investment window had moved,” Juan said.
Having taken office in August 2025, Juan previously committed to eliminating backlogs related to capital expenditure projects for the grid operator, distribution utilities, and electric cooperatives within four years.
“Completing those resets—and we are working through them with urgency—removes a risk factor that serious investors appropriately price,” he added.