"Rationale: Republica Act No. 7638 was enacted in 1992 primarily to provide a cohesive and integrated approach to the power crisis then crippling the country. Among others, the law vested the Secretary of the Department of Energy with broad powers tooversee the energy sector, as well as to ensure that the country's energy requirements are adequately met, and at that at the least cost to consumers. To their credit, the law's framers mandated in Section 5 (i) that local government units (LGUs) hosting energy generating facilities (e.g., power plants) and energy resources (e.g., geothermal fields) be provided with direct benefits as a consequence of these LGUs' hosting these facilities and resources. > It is the intent of the instant measureto strengthen the aforecited provision of the law by rendering unto the LGUs what is rightfully theirs and to ensure the speedy release of the benefits due them."