AAMBIS OWA Partylist Rep. Sharon Garin, the chairperson of the House Committee on Economic Affairs, said House Bill 78 offers a clearer distinction between public service and public utility.
Under the bill, public utilities will only cover the following: distribution of electricity; transmission of electricity; water pipeline distribution system; and sewerage pipeline system. During the plenary debates, several lawmakers aired strong reservations on the proposal as they noted that except for the business activities that have been defined as public utilities, foreign ownership and operation will now be open.