Manila, Nov. 5 -- Senators on Thursday called for a comprehensive review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001 to address persistent challenges in the energy sector, including high electricity costs, delayed transmission projects, and weak enforcement of regulations.

During a Senate Committee on Energy hearing, Senator Pia Cayetano said the two-decade-old law must be reexamined to determine if its safeguards remain effective amid changing market conditions.

"These problems are consistently brought to our attention and they call for a careful review of whether EPIRA's original safeguards and requirements such as the public offering and cross-ownership restrictions are still effective and relevant in today's market con...