Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Department of Energy to fast-track the implementation of its energy efficiency program to help ensure the sufficiency of power supply in the country.

“I was hoping we would have bigger savings by now,” said Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, at a hearing on the proposed budget of the DOE and its attached agencies, noting that savings currently stand only at 0.72% of the country’s total consumption

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act, authored by Gatchalian, aims to ensure stable energy supply, curb high fuel costs, and protect the environment by requiring energy-intensive industries to comply with efficiency standards, promoting renewable technologies, and offering incentives for energy-saving projects.

To date, only 9,278 designated establishments have been registered in the EEC system. “Malayo pa tayo,” Gatchalian said, noting that the country has about 150,000 establishments classified as large taxpayers, companies with gross sales of more than P1 billion a year.

“The DOE should prioritize implementing the program in government offices, including local government units,” Gatchalian said, adding that the DOE has the authority to compel government institutions. 

Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS WIN GATCHALIAN