DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) generated substantial amount of savings in electricity and in fuel expenses but there remains a need to sustain energy efficiency and conservation to prevent the plague of brownouts from recurring. In his message during the Seminar on Government Energy Management Program in Davao City,
Department of Energy Undersecretary Benito L. Ranque revealed that GEMP generated P2.41 billion savings in electricity and P310 million in transport fuel from September 2005 to December 2015. The substantial savings went along with the spot checks that DOE conducted in 814 government agencies by virtue of Presidential Issuances particularly Administrative Order Nos. 103, 110-A and 126 generally aimed at “addressing the volatile world oil prices through adherence to the government’s energy management/conservation program”. The national government through DOE has pursued its thrust to conserve and efficiently use energy through GEMP which aims “to stimulate awareness on efficient and judicious use of energy to reduce government expenditure on both fuel and electricity,” Ranque said.
“The program requires all government offices to reduce their electricity and fuel consumption by 10%,” he revealed. Ranque viewed energy efficiency and conservation as “password” that enabled the country to pass through the power crisis but he said “brownouts are possible to go back if we do not start saving electricity now”. He called on government employees to support and get involved with efforts to sustain efficiency and conservation of energy dubbed as “EC Energy” which DOE hopes to result in economic competitiveness and environmental protection. To drum up community campaign on energy efficiency and conservation, DOE in tie up with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), rolls out series of seminars dubbed as Power Patrol. In Davao City, DOE and PIA conducted in the morning of October 4 the Power Patrol on Energy Efficiency and Conservation for Households participated by barangay officials and purok leaders at the Almendras Gym. I
n the afternoon on the same day, the two agencies held the Power Patrol on Energy Efficiency and Conservation for Schools at Davao City National High School with students in grades 7 and 10 together with their teachers. This morning, representatives from various local and national government agencies joined the Power Patrol on Government Energy Management Program.
Another round of Power Patrol on GEMP will be conducted tomorrow, October 6 with stakeholders from the industrial and the commercial sectors, and another cycle of Power Patrol on Energy Efficiency and Conservation for Schools will be held at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School.
Energy efficiency in govt makes about P3B savings
