ILOILO – The Iloilo provincial government is eyeing more projects in the area of renewable energy following the passage of its Renewable Energy Ordinance of 2022 (I-PORE 2022) – the first in the country.
“It is good that we have an ordinance. Now, we have to set a budget for that. It is already in our Annual Investment Plan 2023,” said Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
The provincial government wants to pursue projects like micro hydro-electric equipment/turbine, especially in elevated or mountain areas in the province.
“That is what we want to pursue because that is very viable for us,” Defensor said.
The provincial ordinance is anchored on Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, and the United Nations Sustainable Goals that ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.
It mandates the establishment of infrastructure and mechanisms on renewable energy; encourages barangays, municipalities, and cities to identify and allocate possible sites for renewable energy investments; and provide incentives according to the Provincial Investment Code.
But even before the ordinance was passed, Defensor stressed, the provincial government already started undertaking a renewable energy project with the Department of Energy (DOE) and private sector partners like the installation of solar panels at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in Pototan town.
The provincial government will allocate a regular annual appropriation in amount equivalent to at least 50 percent of one percent of the annual budget or about P21 million based on the 2022 budget.
Defensor also issued an executive order creating an executive committee on renewable energy relative to the programs and projects it is set to undertake.
The governor himself chairs the committee that will oversee the implementation of the ordinance.
In 2019, the provincial government inked a Memorandum of Understanding with the DOE, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to integrate renewable policies through the Development for Renewable Energy Applications Market Mainstreaming and Sustainability Project or DREAMS.
“We truly value the DREAMS Project because aside from savings on power consumption, the use of renewable energy contributes to climate change mitigation efforts,” said Defensor.
The governor also vowed to advocate renewable energy not only for the government side but also for the private sector, establishments and institutions.
To help the province achieve energy self-reliance, I-PORE 2022 emphasizes the development, utilization and commercialization of renewable energy sources.
It will also help Iloilo increase renewable energy use by institutionalizing the development of local climate change adaptation capabilities, and encouraging the development and utilization of renewable energy sources as tools to prevent harmful emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The ordinance also complements the Iloilo-Provincial Renewable Energy Plan (I-PREP), which laid down the overall renewable energy programs and activities aligned with the province’s vision of a “Livable, Resilient, Progressive, and Globally Competitive Iloilo.” /PN
