MANILA – Electric power supply remains an issue in the Philippines but officials from the public and private sectors said this may all change for the better when the country hosts two global power-related events within the next two years.
These events are the Association of Electricity Supply Industry of East Asia and the Western Pacific’s (AESIEAP) 2019 CEO Conference to be held in Cebu in September and the 2020 Conference on Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) in Manila.
AESIEAP 2019-20 secretary-general Rogelio L. Singson, in a briefing at the Department of Energy (DOE), said they aim to exceed what was achieved when the country hosted the same events in 2000.
“We hope to repeat and even surpass what we achieved during our first hosting. We encourage all the members of the energy family to help secure this victory for our country,” he said, noting that past delegates are still talking about their experience during the country’s initial hosting.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, Singson stressed that even if the country has electricity supply issues this should not hamper it from showcasing what it can contribute for the industry.
“That’s the whole point. It doesn’t have to be that it’s only Singapore who can host. In fact, this is an opportunity to make everyone know the latest technology, (and) what are the solutions,” he said.
“This is a challenge for us hosting it but at the same time it is a good opportunity to have a good platform since all the latest technologies will be made available to our countrymen. Engineers can come, students can come and they will learn,” he said.
AESIEAP is the region’s largest organization of power and industry players.
The Department of Energy (DOE) will spearhead this year’s hosting, along with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the National Power Corporation (Napocor), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), and the Department of Tourism (DOT).
The theme for this year’s event is “Energized Countries, Empowered Communities.”
More than 200 energy ministers and officials of power companies in AESIEAP member-countries are expected to attend the event at the Shangri La Mactan Resort and Spa from Sept. 22 to 25, 2019 while over 2,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) from November 29 to December 3, 2020. (PNA)
