Tacloban city: Five local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas have partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE) to promote the use of solar energy in public buildings, a move aimed to improve energy efficiency and cutting electricity costs. The first LGUs to join the Solar Solutions for Government: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Public Buildings (SSG-ERPB) program are the provinces of Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte, along with Tacloban City.
According to Philippines News Agency, DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan led the signing of a memorandum of agreement with local officials during a ceremony at the Summit Hotel here on Wednesday. "This partnership supports the objectives of the Government Energy Management Program and contributes to the national target of achieving at least 10 percent energy savings in government operations," Marasigan said.
The SSG-ERPB program is designed to help government agencies and LGUs adopt rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, undertake energy-efficient retrofits, and implement other measures to reduce electricity consumption, lower operating costs, and strengthen the resilience of public facilities. As part of the initiative, DOE technical teams will inspect government buildings to assess existing energy-saving measures and recommend improvements.
"This is a demonstration project with the local governments. We will install a 20-kilowatt solar power system as a pilot project. We are committed to providing technical assistance tailored to the needs of local governments if they decide to expand the program," Marasigan added.
Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone welcomed the initiative, stating it would help address the region's recurring energy challenges. "We all experience power shortages in the region that hamper government services. With the technical assistance of the DOE, this is a step toward a greener future. This is just one step in promoting renewable energy in Eastern Samar," Evardone commented.
Under the agreement, participating LGUs will implement energy efficiency measures in key public facilities, including retrofitting government buildings, installing rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, and adopting other power-saving technologies. The DOE mentioned that lower electricity expenses would enable local governments to redirect savings to priority services such as education, healthcare, disaster preparedness, and social welfare.
