Senator Raffy Tulfo said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for aggressive action to address the country’s short-term and long-term energy requirements will help avert the country’s looming energy crisis.
As chairperson of the Senate energy committee, he vowed to support the President’s directions with regard to the energy crisis.
He thanked President Marcos for promptly responding to the pressing issue on energy, citng the importance of concerted efforts from the Legislative and Executive branches of the government.
Earlier, the President met with officials of Department of Energy (DOE) and other related agencies to brainstorm what steps to take to guarantee energy supply.
Following said meeting, the President reportedly said the government should be aggressive in addressing the country’s energy problems, underscoring the need to find ways to ensure that the country has enough power at least in the short term.
Tulfo said he has already started looking for short-term solutions to the country’s energy problem by investigating the root causes of high electricity cost in various on-grid and off-grid areas.
He has also been looking into the reported mismanagement of electric cooperatives that are possibly triggered increase in electricity.
From their investigation, the senator said they found out that there should be a law to give stronger teeth to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) so it can impose stricter regulations on board members of electric cooperatives.
In this way, wastage of money of their members can be avoided.
He also noted that in this way, the earnings of electric cooperatives from their services will go to infrastructures and not to their pockets.
“In consonance with this, we are already publishing some laws that will help to expedite interconnection being conducted by the NGCP,” Tulfo said.
He also related they will continue discussing the issue on the sudden increase of the price of diesel, considering that small power utility groups rely on it to run their powerplants.
“We will ensure that the increase in the cost of diesel and fuel products abroad will be proportionate to the rise in the price of fuel here in our country,” Tulfo said.
To solve the long-term energy crisis, meanwhile, Tulfo said he will closely coordinate with the DOE to study the necessary laws needed to implement the off-shore wind farms proposed by President Marcos.
It can be recalled that Tulfo earlier filed Proposed Senate Resolution (PSR) No. 107 seeking to find an immediate solution to an impending energy crisis and adopt necessary legislative measures that will provide long-term energy security, sufficiency and stability to all Filipinos.
