In a forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP), government officials and industry leaders recently came together to discuss the country’s response to the ongoing energy crisis and the long-term policy direction for Philippine energy.
DivinaLaw Senior Partner Atty. Jay Layug lauded the present administration for making great strides in transitioning the Philippines towards renewable energy. At the same time, Atty. Layug notes there is still much room for improvement particularly in improving permitting processes for building power plants.
“The EVOSS Act was signed in 2019 and until now, not all government agencies are there in EVOSS. We need everybody to be on the same page,” said Atty. Layug. EVOSS stands for Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop, a centralized, digital platform established under Republic Act No. 11234 to streamline the permitting process for energy projects.
Atty. Layug also pushed for more installed capacity in power generation to avoid the recurring outages during summer months. “Right now, if you check, there are 20 power plants that are either derated or shut down.” He stressed the need to build more power plants and encouraged the government to increase its current renewable energy targets.
Atty. Layug took part in a discussion with fellow panelists, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Director for Market Operations Service Sharon O. Montañer, Prime CoreGen President and CEO Jose Victor Emmanuel A. de Dios, and MGEN Renewables President and CEO Dennis B. Jordan. Philippine Star Business Editor Iris C. Gonzales was the moderator.
Atty. Layug is a former Undersecretary of the Department of Energy. He co-heads DivinaLaw’s Energy practice group and is also the president of the Developers of Renewable Energy for Advancement (DREAM), the umbrella organization of renewable energy associations in the Philippines.
