ILOILO – Department of Energy (DOE) secretary Raphael Perpetuo Mercado Lotilla is hoping the country will become energy independent to keep up with the growing economy.
Lotilla said the country is projected to be one of the booming economies in Asia by 2034, which is not attainable without sufficient energy.
“At the rate that the Philippines is growing, and Region 6 and Iloilo are growing, we are going to need more energy. By 2034, the Philippines is projected to join the ranks of the trillion-dollar economies in Asia. Without power, we will not be able to do that,” the Energy secretary said.
He was the guest of honor during the 125th Philippine Independence Day celebration in Santa Barbara town on Monday, June 12.
The DOE, he said, aims for all barangays in the country to have reliable power supply before the end of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.
“We hope to achieve 100 percent electrification of all our barangays and sitios. So, we hope that those benefits will be realized,” added Lotilla.
The Energy secretary also said that beginning 2024 to 2040, facilities for generating hydropower (with a potential of 930 megawatts), solar power (almost 500 megawatts) and wind energy (almost 14,000 megawatts) will be constructed in Region 6.
Also, of the almost 14,000 megawatts of potential wind energy, 10,473 megawatts are going to be offshore,said Lotilla.
A major part of it will be under the jurisdiction of Iloilo province and the neighboring provinces of Negros Occidental and Guimaras, he revealed.
The biggest potential lies in a triangle between Southern Mindoro, Northern Antique and Northern Palawan, he added.
For these to materialize, Lotilla said, grids, transmission systems and facilities must be built to match the capacity of projected renewable energy.
“We will have to see the development of this port that can support the offshore wind in the country. Offshore wind will not be built immediately but the preparation will have to be done now, and therefore we will need to train engineers, skilled people, and those who have work to construct the offshore wind,” he added.
It would take five to 10 years to construct power plants, including the transmission lines and facilities.
“Some of that will not be seen by the administration of President Marcos, but the President is concerned that when he leaves office, there must already be existing infrastructure to be inherited by his successors and future generations. We would be irresponsible if we build only what would be finished during our administration. And since our officials are young enough to oversee them, then the continuity that we need beyond the President’s administration will be there,” said Lotilla.
The DOE secretary added: “With that hope and that aspiration for a poverty-free future, full and beaming with economic development for our people, I wish to congratulate the people of Santa Barbara and the people of Iloilo and encourage them to continue our struggle for independence, not only against political domination by foreigners but also to realize the dream of our ancestors for a fully developed Philippines.”
He thanked the local government of Santa Barbara headed by Mayor Dennis Superficial for the invitation to take part in the historic town’s Independence Day celebration.
Lotilla said it was his first appearance at the event but has been visiting relatives on his mother’s side in the town./PN
