Electricity Subsidy, is this what we really need?

I just learned from the news that the government is allotting P2 billion pesos from the government’s VAT collection as one time electricity subsidy to consumers consuming less than 100 Kwh per month.

In order to avail of the P500 electricity subsidy, consumers have to claim it from Landbank and I saw from the news when they were interviewing consumers and they are already in line for five hours already just to get the P500 subsidy.

I know P500 is P500 and it is already a big help for consumers but is this Filipino people needs? From my point of view, since the P2 billion funds came from the VAT collection, it is just like getting the subsidy from the consumers themselves. So does it look like the government is just fooling us?

I think that if the government is really sincere in helping the low-income consumers and industries, why don’t they provide a long term solution to the problem instead of just giving consumers a one time help of P500. The problem is that the government should be able to control and moderate the ever increasing energy prices. Why doesn’t the government remove the VAT on electricity bill instead? With this, the consumers and industries will reap long term benefits instead of Meraclo just benefiting from this P500 subsidy.