HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Quezon City, 11 November 2019 – The Committee on Energy (COE) of the House of Representatives (HRep) and the Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) jointly opened earlier today a 4-day exhibition “A Showcase of Energy Efficiency Services and Technologies” at the North Wing lobby of the Batasan Complex. The HRep was led by COE Chairman Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco, while PE2 was led by its president Alexander Ablaza. The Department of Energy (DOE) was represented by Director Patrick T. Aquino of the Energy Utilization and Management Bureau.
In their opening remarks, Rep. Velasco and Director Aquino highlighted the role of RA 11285 in scaling up energy efficiency project implementation across the country. Both of them emphasized the role of energy efficiency market stakeholders, such as energy efficiency technology and service providers, as well as energy service companies (ESCOs) in ensuring that public and private sector energy users are able to improve the efficiency of their end-use utilization of electricity and fuel-based and other forms of energy.
On behalf of PE2, Ablaza declared that almost 7 months ago, the Philippines made history when the historic signing of RA 11285 reverted its economy back into a mandatory energy efficiency market. It was this piece of legislative history that both HRep and PE2 recognized as they opened the exhibits.
Ablaza said, “Now that we have a law in place, it is time to for all sectors of the economy to work together and collectively pursue what PE2 believes are achievable 2040 targets: Shave off 182 Mtoe in final energy demand, avoid P 36 trillion in end-use energy purchases, defer 45,900 MW in energy infrastructure upgrades, reduce GHG emissions by 1.7 GtCO2e, generate new green jobs, produce incremental GDP for the economy, and decelerate rise in energy prices. We can achieve all these if we – Government, private sector and civil society – work together.”
The PE2 head said that the Alliance managed to re-organize in April 2016 purposely to reposition the civil society organization as a willing, able and effective civil society partner of Government in the common objective of transforming the Philippine economy into an energy-efficient one.
Ablaza explained further, “While [the exhibits] clearly promote understanding of energy efficiency technologies, solutions, services and opportunities, for PE2, the event sends a very strong signal to all that a multi-sectoral partnership is urgently needed to make energy efficiency happen, such as the mobilization of some P 12 trillion in energy efficiency capital through 2040 toward public and private sector energy efficiency projects.”