Utilities

Question from Facebook: Ngayon pong lifted na ang ECQ ata naka-GCQ na po tayo, ibig sabihin po ba ay balik na sa normal ang operations at paniningil ng mga bangko tulad ng sa credit card dues, loan payment dues, etc.? May abiso po ba mula sa BSP at sa iba pang gov’t department na extended pa rin ang pagbabayad ng mga bills tulad ng sa Meralco bills, etc.? Salamat po.

Answer: (June 8, 2020)

Ang aplikasyon para sa 30-day mandatory grace period para sa mga loans na inilaan ng mga financial institutions ay natapos na nitong Hunyo 1, nang inilagay ang bansa sa ilalim ng general community quarantine, ayon sa Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Ibig sabihin, ang mga bayarin na utang (principal at interest) na pasok simula June 1 ay dapat agad bayaran.
Gayunman, ang mga may utang, ay hindi obligado na bayaran ang lahat ang loan payments ngayong June 2020, na binigyan ng 30-day grace period noong Marso, Abril at Mayo.
Base sa BSP memorandum, ang bayarin ay ire-reschedule. Ang kailangan bayaran agad ay ang halaga ng loan principal at interest na due sa June 2020 o isang buwan matapos mag-aplay ng grace period.
Ang loan last payment due date ay extended na equivalent sa grace period na ibinigay sa panahon ng enhanced community quarantine.

Nagsimula nang muli ang mga utility companies ng kanilang meter reading at pagbibigay ng mga bill statements. Ayon sa Meralco, maaaring bayaran ng kanilang mga kostumer ang mga bayarin nang hulugan. Ang installment bill ay iisyu nang hiwalay sa bill para sa Hunyo, habang ang installment payment ay magsisimula sa June 15, base na rin sa utos ng Energy Regulatory Commission. Maging ang Manila Water ay nag-resume na ng kanilang meter reading, at nakatanggap na ang mga kustomer nito ng kanilang statements of account.

https://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/regulations/attachments/2020/m045.pdf
Meralco to issue new bill based on actual meter reading
ERC to Meralco: Explain high bills
ADVISORY: Meter Reading & Billing Post-ECQ/MECQ | Manila Water Company, Inc.

Question from Facebook: Yung sa credit cards, waived ang penalty for late payment pero nag increase ng interest for succeeding payment period. Tama ba yun?

Answer: (April 23, 2020)

Base sa implementing rules and regulations (IRR) na inisyu noong Abril 1, batay sa probisyon na nakalahad sa “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act,” may 30-araw na grace period extension ang ibibigay sa lahat ng may pagkakautang, kabilang na ang credit card. Ang mga bangko, quasi-banks, credit card issuers at iba pang financial institution na nasa ilalim ng pangangasiwa ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas ay hindi maaaring magpataw ng interest o karagdagang charges , kabilang na ang patubo sa sinisingil na interest. Mangyaring makipag-ugnayan sa inyong bangko tungkol sa sinasabing accrued interest o naipong interest. Ang mga credit card holders na makakapagbayad nang buo ng kanilang outstanding balance bago o sa araw mismo ng due date ay hindi pinapatawan ng interest. Gayunman, magpapatuloy ang pagpataw ng interest sa loob ng 30-day grace period para sa mga hindi makapagbabayad nang buo , ngunit maaari itong bayaran nang hulugan. 

Sources: https://business.inquirer.net/294227/no-interest-fees-charges-during-ecq-bsp-tells-banks and https://www.bsp.gov.ph/downloads/Publications/FAQs/BayanihanActFAQs.pdf

Question from Email: Hello. I just want to confirm, may charges ba if ever di namin malagyan ng fund yung inissue namin na pdc? Hindi kasi kami makapunta ng bank to deposit our cash on hand. The pdc is dated April 30, 2020. It is for the downpayment of our house. Hindi rin namin macontact yung office ng payee written sa check to inform na wag muna ideposit ang check. We’re worried baka mag bounce check. Thanks

Answer: (April 22, 2020)

Charges or penalties for bounced check or overdraft will apply but some banks have issued guidelines on checks that could not be funded at this time such as reversing or refunding the fees. Get in touch with your bank to confirm their policies. At the same time, it is highly recommended to keep on contacting the payee to request that the check be deposited at a later time.

Source: https://www.chinabank.ph/personal.aspx?title=Banking+in+the+time+of+COVID-19 and https://www.pnbcards.com.ph/index.php/promo/bayanihan_to_heal_as_one_act_advisory_faqs

Question from Email: Is it possible to send money from Germany to Philippines through banks or any other remittance centers during this pandemic?

Answer: (April 20, 2020)

Banks are among the establishments allowed to be open while an extended and expanded community quarantine is being implemented in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon. So bank services including the sending or receiving of remittances are still being rendered. Just be to sure, you may want to get in touch with the local bank you wish the remittance to be made.

Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1243775/luzon-community-quarantine-its-not-just-wider-in-coverage

Question from Email: I want to know where I can get my maintenance medication since we cannot go anywhere because of this lockdown? I run out of my medication. Urgent…thank you

Answer: (April 15, 2020)

One person per household is allowed to leave the house to avail essentials like medicine. If you don’t have quarantine pass, you may appeal to your barangay or local government to allow you or someone from your household to go out and buy your maintenance medication. You may also call the DILG Emergency Operations Center hotlines at 02-8876-3454 local 8806/8810 or 02-8925-0343 if you have complaints against your local official on the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

Sources: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1244515/list-persons-authorized-to-go-out-during-luzon-lockdown and https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-to-go-after-local-execs-barangay-officials-charging-fees-for-passes-food-stubs-during-enhanced-community-quarantine/NC-2020-1066 

Question from Email: What about funding checks? Will the due date also be extended? If yes, which banks have already given this extension? For issued PDCs for loan payments.

Answer: (April 8, 2020)

The Inquirer was told by a source at the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) that postdated checks would be covered by the 30-day loan payment moratorium that all covered institutions must implement. In a document sent to all central bank-supervised financial institutions last week, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas mandated them to implement a 30-day grace period to all loans with principal and/or interest due falling within the enhanced community quarantine period, without incurring interest on interest, penalties, fees and other charges. This grace period is extended after the Palace announced the extension of the lockdown until April 30. The BAP source said the moratorium also covers postdated checks issued by borrowers to cover loan payments.

Sources: https://business.inquirer.net/24009/banks-ok-30-day-loan-payment-moratorium and https://business.inquirer.net/294227/no-interest-fees-charges-during-ecq-bsp-tells-banks

Question from FB Live: Paano po ang payment namin sa Meralco, PLDT, Globe, Sky, Maynilad eh wala po kaming kinikita? Bigla pa kaming pababayarin?

Answer: (March 21, 2020)

Utility companies have extended payment deadlines. PLDT Home, PLDT Enterprise, Smart & Sun Postpaid, Meralco, Globe Postpaid, Sky, Cignal Postpaid, Maynilad, Manila Water provided a 30-day payment extension. Maynilad also suspended until April 14 the disconnection of overdue accounts.

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