COTABATO CITY — “How efficient are we in utilizing our energy?” the Energy Management and Development Services (EMDS) of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) – BARMM asked representatives from the Local Government Units in the province of Maguindanao during the one-day “Energy Consultation on Republic Act 11285 aka Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act” on 29 September 2021.

EMDS of the MENRE tapped 19 LGUs in Maguindanao to spread awareness of energy efficiency and conservation among households in the communities in the province.

The Department of Energy – Mindanao Field Office (DOE-MFO) provided technical assistance on the basics and need-to-know concerning provisions stipulated in RA 11285.

“We know and feel the importance of energy,” BARMM Senior Minister and concurrent MENRE Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua said, citing, in addition, the effect of a mere 5-minute power interruption.

“We need to explore our potential energy sources because if our energy development plan is successfully executed, we will be able to help boom our economy and provide livelihood opportunities for a lot of people. Since we are new to this, we are banking on the help of (DOE-MFO), our national counterpart, in strengthening our energy plan implementation,” he added.

Dir. Neil Geroche, Director III of DOE-MFO, acknowledged that “energy security is important to our national security and it is vital to our daily living.”

“We consider energy as a resource of economic growth as it contributes to national development. This is why the DOE-MFO is very aggressive in conducting IEC campaigns about energy efficiency and conservation in Mindanao,” Geroche shared.

EMDS Director Nasiri Abas aims to expand the information drive of the Ministry in educating the public about the relevance of energy efficiency and conservation.

“Our energy consumption doesn’t always have to be high. Hopefully, beginning with this information campaign, we can additionally share to our communities the best practices in conserving our energy,” Director Abas said.

Issues and concerns were raised from the participants regarding the adoption of the EEC Act in the Bangsamoro, especially as to the legislation of the EEC-related laws by the Bangsamoro Government. Moving forward, the MENRE targets to tap other BARMM Ministries in further crafting the EEC development plan and its implementation within the LGUs.

Special thanks to Engr. Lana Manaligod, Chief Science Research Specialist (SRS) of DOE-EPSMD, and Engr. Virgilio B. Arzadon, Senior SRS of DOE-MFO, for discussing the salient features of the EEC Act and the Government Energy Management Program, respectively.