VISAYAS CONTRIBUTION: With their long experience in disaster risk reduction, Visayas energy stakeholders shared their ideas to help DOE in crafting a more comprehensive energy resiliency policy. The DOE held the public consultation Friday in Tacloban City, Leyte to ensure resiliency in the energy sector amid the region's vulnerability to natural disasters.
In a bid to gather more inputs on its proposed energy resiliency policy, the Department of Energy (DOE) recently concluded the second leg of public consultations in Leyte province.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said the public consultations are conducted to improve the energy resiliency policy.
“Engaging our stakeholders in policy formulation supports our thrust for a comprehensive energy resiliency framework,” he said.
“The insights of our kababayans in the Visayas who experienced the adverse effects of Yolanda –the strongest typhoon ever recorded—allowed us to give more depth in strengthening disaster prevention and management in the energy sector,” Cusi pointed out.
The energy resiliency policy, dubbed as the “Adoption of Resiliency Planning and Program in the Energy Industry to Mitigate Adverse Effects Brought About by Disasters,” is anchored on President Duterte’s directive to heighten disaster resilience.
The proposed policy revolves around four principles: to strengthen the existing energy infrastructures and systems; to institute the build back better principle; to improve existing disaster resilience operations; and to develop resiliency practices, systems and standards.
“All these are geared towards mainstreaming disaster risk reduction to ensure the reliability of our energy systems in times of disasters,” Cusi said.
Apart from typhoons, the provinces in the Visayas also experienced disruptive earthquakes affecting energy services in the region.
The first leg of the public consultations was held last 10 October in Batangas City, where critical energy facilities are located. The city was struck with a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in August.
During the Luzon and Visayas consultations, the participants generally shared various comments and suggestions to revise, clarify and expand some clauses tackling the resiliency compliance plan and its timelines, the task force, regulatory support and monitoring, definition of terms, roles and responsibilities, costs and budgetary concerns, plans and roadmaps, among others.
The third-leg of the consultations will be conducted on 17 October in Cagayan de Oro, which experienced devastation from Typhoon Sendong and is now reeling from armed conflict in nearby provinces.
For those interested in voicing out their inputs, they may download a copy of the draft resiliency policy on the DOE's Official website: www.doe.gov.ph and send their recommendations thru the email doe.eppb@doe.gov.ph.
LUZON BRAINSTORMING: During the breakout sessions of the Luzon leg of the Department of Energy's public consultations, participants discussed among themselves the comments and recommendations on the specifics of the proposed energy resiliency policy. The consultation was held in Batangas City last 10 October
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