QUEZON CITY – The energy family, led by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, on Tuesday (27 August) appeared before the House of Representatives to seek support for its proposed 2020 budget of PhP 2.3 billion.
“Our budgetary request will support plans and programs that would help ensure the security of our country’s energy future, increase access to energy services and technologies, further uphold consumer welfare, and facilitate the efficient implementation of new energy policies such as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, the Murang Kuryente Act, and the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop Act,” Secretary Cusi said in his opening remarks.
He also added that a significant portion of the budget (PhP 500 million) will likewise go towards the continued implementation of the government’s Total Electrification Program (TEP), which would see the energization of the remaining underserved and unserved households nationwide, in close partnership with the National Electrification Administration and the National Power Corporation.
Based on allotment class, PhP 1.14 billion, or almost 50% is for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE); PhP 521 million or 23% is for Capital Outlay (CO); PhP 580 million or 25% for Personal Services; and PhP 52 million or 2% for Retirement and Life Insurance Premiums.
With regard to the TEP, PhP 199 million of PhP 1.14 billion of the MOOE will got to the program, while PhP 300 million of the PhP 521 million allocation for CO is earmarked for the procurement of distributed energy generation systems and microgrids for the TEP.
During this critical mid-point of President Duterte’s administration, the DOE remains persistent in pursuing its eight-point priority program comprised of National and Regional Energy Planning, Conventional Energy Development, National Renewable Energy, Downstream Energy Development, Electric Power Industry Development, Total Electrification, National Energy Efficiency and Conservation, and Alternative Fuels and Energy Technologies.
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