In celebration of National Energy Consciousness Month, the Department of Energy (DOE) has honored local government units (LGUs) for their exemplary practices in energy conservation and sustainability.
Among the awardees were Iloilo Province and Bacnotan, La Union, which received recognition for their innovative programs. The awards reflect the objectives of Proclamation No. 1247, which emphasizes the importance of energy conservation and sustainable energy practices.
Iloilo Province: A model for renewable energy initiatives
Rey Victor Garin, Iloilo’s Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) focal person for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC), shared the province’s achievements. One highlight was the implementation of the Iloilo Provincial Ordinance on Renewable Energy (IPORE), the first of its kind in the Philippines.
Garin explained that IPORE allocates half of one percent of the province’s annual budget to renewable energy projects. This funding has enabled Iloilo to install a 75-kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital, in partnership with UMTP Dreams. Additionally, three other hospitals are equipped with 60-kW solar PV systems under this ordinance.
"This is a marriage between provincial policies and actual implementation," Garin said during an interview with DILG sa DZRH Breaktime on Wednesday.
Iloilo also follows a comprehensive Renewable Energy Plan, along with its Local Energy Code and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan, prioritizing hospitals and schools for renewable energy projects.
Bacnotan, La Union: Excellence in Energy Efficiency
The municipality of Bacnotan, La Union, bagged the Energy Efficiency Excellence Award, attributed to the initiatives led by Mayor Divina Fontanilla and Vice Mayor Francis Fontanilla. The Vice Mayor pioneered the municipality’s energy efficiency program.
Mayor Fontanilla outlined Bacnotan’s achievements, starting with the establishment of an energy efficiency ordinance. This ordinance led to the creation of an Energy Efficiency Office, staffed by a municipal energy conservation officer and focal persons for each of the town’s 47 barangays.
Key initiatives include:
- Replacing old lights with LED alternatives.
- Installing inverter-type air conditioning systems.
- Incorporating solar panels into municipal infrastructure projects.
- A monitoring system tracks energy and fuel consumption, with data uploaded to the DOE website. Solar photovoltaic systems have also been installed in municipal buildings, while solar charging stations have been set up in select barangays.
The results of these efforts are impressive. From 2020 to 2023, Bacnotan reduced its electricity consumption by approximately 21%, saving 1.16 million pesos and 38,624 kilowatt-hours of energy. This translates to 26 tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided.
"Ang future plans po sana mas maraming solar panels kaya lang kailangan opa ng budget, kaya na naghahanap pa akmi ng mga partners na pwedeng tumulong," Vice Mayor Francis Fontanilla said.
