The Regional Development Council (RDC-6) has recently convened representatives from various local government units and national government agencies in Western Visayas for a two-day seminar dubbed as “RDC 6 for RE 2022 and Beyond” at Park Inn Hotel in Iloilo City.
The RDC-6 initiative, in partnership with the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Economic Development Authority and the UNDP-Development for Renewable Energy Applications Mainstreaming and Market Sustainability (DREAMS) Project, was designed to empower LGUs to harness renewable energy resources and solutions for recovery and growth amidst various global and local issues.
NEDA-6 director and RDC-6 Vice-Chair Meylene C. Rosales emphasized that”like COVID-19, climate change and environmental degradation continue to loom. Thus, there is a need to lean towards a greener solution without affecting the momentum of regional economic recovery and development.”
Rosales added “We need the energy to forward our agenda for smart infrastructure, innovation, regional equity, disaster resilience, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development.”
Meanwhile, RDC-6 Co-Chairperson Ma. Luisa C. Segovia, welcomed the renewable energy mix advocacy in the region which she believed would safeguard supply in times of crisis and calamities.
“Success in investments for Western Visayas will hinge on our ability to provide stable, ample energy sooner than later,” Segovia said, pointing out that the region must be self-sufficient in power.
On the other hand, Rosales noted that it was in 2008 when the region was first envisioned to be the country’s frontrunner in biofuels and renewable energy mix.
The DOE declared the region as the laboratory of renewable energy in the country with the implementation of various RE projects in Western Visayas such as wind, solar, biomass, recycled water, and many more.
The NEDA-6, then, formulated a 10-year Western Visayas Regional Development Agenda and outlined the strategies for the realization of such a plan.
According to the power updates of the DOE Visayas, as of December 31, 2021, the peak demand for power in Western Visayas grid-connected consumers recorded 648.4 megawatts (MW) with residential users accounting for half of the said demand.
Starting this year until 2024, a total of 250.7 MW committed energy projects in the region, while a total of 1,782 MW are indicative projects that are part of the development plan but still in their processing phase.
However, despite these developments, Rosales said that there’s still a lot of work to do.
“Of the 3,603 gigawatts per hour gross generation we had in 2020, the power generation mix showed that only about 29% came from renewable energy,” the NEDA-6 director said
The seminar was participated in by about 170 LGU and NGA planners across the region and is expected to include renewable energy agenda in their respective plans.
“We encourage close collaboration with energy stakeholders to ensure and facilitate the provision of adequate and reliable energy to all consumers,” Director Mylene C. Capongcol of DOE Renewable Energy Management Bureau said.AAL/FRG/PIA6
