PE2 members promote EE in BOI industry forum
QUEZON CITY, 21 May 2018 – The members and officers of the Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) actively supported the Board of Investments (BOI) in promoting energy efficiency (EE) in the manufacturing and agri-support sectors during a BOI-organized industry forum for EE held in the Crowne Plaza hotel earlier today with assistance from the German international cooperation agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ). At least 15 PE2 member firms confirmed attendance in the forum and had the chance to meet representatives of invited industrial players as well as BOI, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Government Procurement Policy Board Technical Services Office (GPPB TSO) and the Philippine Center for Ecological Protection and Sustainable Development Inc.
BOI Director Nestor P. Arcansalin of the Resource-based Industries Service presented the approved guidelines for the climate change-related and energy efficiency projects under the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan. He explained that while the scope of technologies and incentive package are initially limited by their in-house technical capacities, BOI confirmed that it was willing to review the guidelines on a quarterly basis.
After presenting on global trends and how the economy should attain the local EE roadmap targets, PE2 president Alexander Ablaza shared during the open forum that the Alliance foresees an even closer collaborative partnership with BOI as discussions continue toward an expanded incentive framework that would enable more third-party capital investments in the universal list of savings-based energy efficiency measures across a wider spectrum of energy end-users in the commercial and industrial sectors. Ablaza confirmed the Alliance’s willingness to support the BOI as it develops its in-house technical capacities related to energy efficiency, as it has done so for both houses of Congress.
PE2 trustees Raymond A. Marquez and Bienvenido C. Gonzales presented basic technical concepts on energy efficiency applications in the manufacturing, services and agri-support sectors, as well as case studies of operational energy efficiency projects.
DOE division chief Artemio P. Habitan of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Division presented DOE’s roadmap and policy framework related to energy efficiency and conservation, while GPPB TSO deputy executive director Elmira S. Cruz-Caisido introduced the Green Procurement Program launched recently by Secretary Benjamin Diokno of the Department of Budget and Management.
In the afternoon, PE2 vice president for external affairs Ruth Yu Owen led PE2 members in a business matching exercise with invitees from the manufacturing and agri-support sectors.
