DOE Aims for More Women in the Energy Sector

More women should be involved in the energy sector for gender balance and thus make it more responsive to the requirements of nation-building.

This was emphasized by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as the Department of Energy (DOE) ramped up its program to introduce students to possible careers in the energy sector. 

“We encourage women to venture in the energy sector as they can also be great engineers and designers of infrastructure projects and energy devices, thus making the energy sector more gender-responsive.”

The Energy Chief said the goal of the DOE is to motivate students especially women to take up engineering or science programs in college.

“This will support our advocacy towards spreading the gender equality policy and non-discrimination of women in the energy industry involving the long energy value chain from exploration and development, midstream sectors related to generation, transmission and distribution up to utilization,” Cusi said.

"As encapsulated in our E-Power Mo campaign, we value the roles of our youth, regardless of their gender, in nation-building, particularly in the energy sector development.”

“Educating our students about energy would allow them to better appreciate energy issues, whether in their daily lives or in their future profession,” Cusi pointed out.

The DOE-Gender and Development (GAD) through the Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (CWPO) recently commenced the second year of the series of the ENEReady program starting with 134 high school students in Pasig City.

According to DOE-CWPO, the ENEReady: Career Talks on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Energy Workforce Program is primarily anchored on the DOE-GAD goal of promoting a more gender-balanced employment in the energy sector as there has been no remarkable increase in the number of women taking up engineering courses and graduating in sciences program in the last five years.

A total of 134 Grades 10 and 11 students, including 36 students representing the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) all involved in sciences, attended the ENEReady career talk held last September 5 at the Pasig City Science High School (PCSHS), Maybunga, Pasig City.

The resource persons from the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, Renewable Energy Management Bureau, and Energy Resource Development Bureau related their personal experiences in their presentations. Through interactive discussions, the speakers also explained the types of jobs and leadership roles that engineers and applied science graduates can undertake in the energy industry for career path or growth.

Also present during the Career Talk were PCSHS Assistant Principal Lowell H. de Ramon and Guidance teachers, and guests from the GSP National Headquarters, Jade Villanueva and Ma. Rosalina Flores.

Jewel of the Philippines 2017 Press Presentation

Congratulations to the winners of the Darling of the Press announced after the press presentation for the Jewel of the Philippines 2017 held on September 20, 2017 at the Madison 101 Hotel + Tower.

Darling of the Press:

Winner: Achelle Joy Medrano (Lipa City, Batangas)
1st Runner-Up: Sarah Jireh Asido (Balagtas, Bulacan)
2nd Runner-Up: Andrea Delgado (Naga City)
Congratulations!!!

#JewelOfThePhilippines2017

Cusi: Green Energy Within Reach of Filipino Consumers

EMPOWERING CONSUMERS ON GREEN ENERGY. Organizers and participants during the culminating public consultation for the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) held at the University of Makati Mini Theater, Makati City on September 19, 2017. The event was led by NREB Chair Atty. Jose Layug, Jr. together with OIC for Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) Director Mylene Capongcol and GEOP Committee Chairman Ernesto B. Pantangco.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi Tuesday said that the Philippine government is doing everything it can to empower Filipino consumers access renewable energy sources through the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP).

Cusi issued the statement in support of the public consultation held by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) on the draft guidelines on the implementation of GEOP held on 19 September 2017 at the University of Makati Mini Theater.

GEOP is being pushed by the DOE and NREB with support from USAID B-LEADERS.

The GEOP is a mechanism which provides end-users the option to choose renewable energy (RE) resources in meeting their energy requirements through respective distribution utilities.

The GEOP is provided under Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, and is in line with the DOE’s “E-Power Mo” campaign to educate consumers of various options on intelligent and efficient utilization of energy resources.

“The GEOP draft guidelines went through an extensive review by the NREB’s Green Energy Option Rules Committee and was subjected to inputs from stakeholders of the Philippine electric power industry,” said Cusi.

“By conducting public consultations, we make sure that inputs from all participants of the energy sector, especially the consumers, are thoroughly noted so we can come up with a more comprehensive and sound policy,” Cusi added.

The event served as the culminating consultation in a series of GEOP public consultations following the Visayas leg in Bacolod City and the Mindanao leg in Davao City held last September 4 and 12, respectively.

The consultations brought together RE stakeholders, distribution utilities, electric cooperatives and end users to raise their concerns and suggestions on the GEOP.

The participants' comments and suggestions were mostly on the implementation details, including contracting timeline under the GEOP, sourcing of RE suppliers, incentives for RE developers under the RE law and cost component transparency towards consumers.

The GEOP forum was led by NREB Chair Atty. Jose Layug, Jr. as keynote speaker together with OIC for Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) Director Mylene Capongcol and GEOP Committee Chairman Ernesto B. Pantangco.

About 200 participants from NREB, government agencies, distribution utilities and renewable energy stakeholders attended the Luzon leg.