21 Western Visayas Gov’t Entities Excel in Energy Program

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Out of 106 government entities in Western Visayas audited for energy efficiency, 21 achieved “excellent compliance” in the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP), according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

The GEMP is a key provision of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, promoting the use of energy-efficient technologies and practices in local government units (LGUs), national government agencies (NGAs), and state universities and colleges (SUCs).

Lourdes Arciaga, Chief of the Energy Resource Development and Utilization Division of DOE-Visayas, said that of the 21 entities with top compliance, four are LGUs, and 17 are NGAs.

The LGUs with a five-star or excellent compliance rating (88-100 percent compliance) include Batad, Dueñas, Leganes, and Mina, all located in Iloilo province.

“Hopefully, other LGUs will be encouraged to work on it because compliance is not that difficult. You just need a designated Energy Efficiency Conservation (EEC) Focal Person or Officer,” Arciaga said in a press conference on Sept. 12.

DOE-Visayas has identified 261 government entities in the region, comprising 139 LGUs, 55 NGAs, and 67 SUCs.

By December 2023, spot checks had been conducted on 61 LGUs, 44 NGAs, and one SUC, while energy audits were performed on 44 LGUs, 16 NGAs, and one SUC.

Currently, 42 LGUs have designated an EEC focal person or officer, compared to eight NGAs and one SUC.

The entities must also comply with DOE requirements, such as maintaining an active GEMP online account, issuing EEC measures, and submitting electricity and fuel consumption data.

“In Western Visayas, we are nearing 100 percent completion. We aim to finish spot checks and energy audits of all government entities by next year,” Arciaga added, noting that their current focus is on the province of Antique.

She explained that initial efforts were concentrated in Central Visayas due to budget constraints and limited personnel, and emphasized the push to establish a DOE office in Panay Island, as the DOE Visayas office is currently based in Cebu City.

“We are hoping to regionalize soon. We are feeling the pressure as we implement several measures with significant economic impacts,” Arciaga stressed.