TAGUIG CITY – The Department of Energy (DOE) has already drafted the Implementing Guidelines (IG) of the Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP) as part of the implementation of Republic Act 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, including its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
The guidelines were initially presented during the virtual public consultation last 2 October 2020 for inputs and comments from various stakeholders. With the recommendations received from the industry, as well as from World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries, said IG was further refined and presented during the recently concluded 2nd Virtual Public Consultation on 26 February 2021.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi thanked those who participated in last week’s public consultation, saying their inputs will greatly help the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation as a “national way of life” among Filipinos.
“The DOE is committed to faithfully implement RA 11285 and since its enactment into law, we have been making strides in institutionalizing energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C). The implementing guidelines for PELP will further help us accelerate in transforming EE&C into a national way of life,” Secretary Cusi said.
The PELP IG was divided into five (5) issuances, which contained specific guidelines and technical requirements for PELP-covered Energy Consuming Products (ECPs), particularly air conditioners, refrigerating appliances, television sets and lighting products. It also included the details for registration, label issuance, guidelines for enforcement, as well as monitoring and verification (EMV) procedures, among others.
Among the refinements made in the guidelines were the addition of compliance mechanism that defined the responsibilities of manufacturers, importers, distributors, dealers and retailers of ECPs and the effectivity of the PELP registration. The revised IG also bridges the transition from the yellow label to the new PELP Energy Labels, especially for ECPs that are already in the market.
The virtual public consultation was participated by representatives from the industrial and commercial sectors; National Government Agencies, such as the Committee on Energy of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS); as well as international partners from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), European Union - Access to Sustainable Programme (EU-ASEP), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) (Thailand) Limited, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC).
In his message, DOE Senior Undersecretary Jesus Cristino P. Posadas emphasized that the support and cooperation among stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, as well as the help from international institutions partners, are key elements to the success of the PELP implementation.
During the event, Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB) Director Patrick T. Aquino also mentioned that the DOE will be accepting additional comments from the stakeholders on the presented IG until 12 March 2021.
The mandatory implementation of the PELP will lead to, among others, the empowerment of consumers in choosing energy efficiency products at the point of sale, realization of energy savings and reduction of energy consumption bills through the use of energy efficient products, elimination of energy inefficient products in the market, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
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