(Taguig City). The Department of Energy (DOE) leads the celebration of the 2014 Consumer Welfare Month (CWM) highlighting the launch of the consumer websites — Kuryente and WattMatters, aimed at educating the public on the fundamentals of power industry operation and efficient energy utilization.
The DOE is set to launch the said websites during the opening ceremony of the CWM on 01 October at the Meralco Mini Theater with the theme, “Sapat na Impormasyon: Susi sa Wastong Paggamit ng Enerhiya.”
The Kuryente website (www.kuryente.org.ph) aims to respond to the public's perennial question about energy, “magkano ba ang kuryente mo?." The site provides a database of the country’s distribution utilities, powerrates, and other valuable information about the power industry.
The WattMatters website (www.wattmatters.org.ph), on the other hand, seeks to teach people the value of managing energy use as it shows the cost of operating energy appliances and how to save energy.
Through these basic tools, the DOE hopes to empower consumers in making more intelligent energy choices at the most opportune time when volatile energy prices pose a formidable challenge in budgeting household income for monthly expenditures.
The CWM is held every October pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1098. The DOE is an ex-officio member of the National Consumer Affairs Council, a government body established by virtue of Republic Act 7394, otherwise known as the “Consumer Act of the Philippines” to improve the management, coordination and effectiveness of the nation’s consumer programs.
NCAC is currently composed of representatives from non-governmental organizations: Nationwide Association of Consumers Inc., Consumer Rights for Safe Food, Coalition for Consumer Protection, and Welfare Inc., National Federation of Women’s Clubs of the Phils., Inc., Phil. Bakers Industry Group, and the Philippine Retailers Association, as well as representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.