DOE, attached agencies draft plan for remainder of GMA term

Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez said yesterday he had convened the heads of all agencies attached to the Department of Energy (DOE) to make a compre-hensive plan of action for the remaining months of the Arroyo administration.

"This is in line with the continuing effort to support the thrusts of the Arroyo administration of balanced economic growth, market-based industry and poverty alleviation," Perez said.

The energy chief also called for continuing reforms in the different sectors of the power industry to attain fair and reasonable energy prices.

First in Perez’s priority list is the privatization of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) which is expected to be finished by the second quarter of this year.

Another important reform, he said, is the completion of the transmission regulatory framework by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) next month.

He said electric cooperatives will be adopting 180-day performance improvement and rehabilitation plans to promote increased accountability to consumers.

Some cooperatives, he said, will be consolidated by management to prepare them for a deregulated electricity market by 2004.

According to Perez, the DOE is also accelerating the rural electrification campaign in coordination with other agencies.

As of November 2002, a total of 5,469 barangays remain to be electrified. "The plan is to energize 1,500 barangays by the end of December 2003," Perez said.

The DOE also supports the implementation of some Transco‚ projects such as the Batangas transmission line upgrade, Leyte Cebu interconnection, and Leyte Bohol interconnection to meet the projected demand for electricity in the next few years.

"We have identified 87 projects/activities and we need to accelerate the implementation of those projects to help further improve the delivery of energy services to the Filipino people," Perez said.

Aside from these, Perez also identified various strategies to achieve the energy sector goals. Among these are: increase energy sufficiency level; intensify the development, exploration and use of indigenous energy; implement provision of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act; monitor and review sector pricing policies to ensure transparency; promote investment and livelihood activities in energy projects; and among others. – Donnabelle Gatdula