5 City Hall buildings to shift to solar power
CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Hall is projected to save millions of pesos annually after survey results confirmed that at least five major government buildings will be fitted with solar panels, Mayor Nestor Archival announced.
“Naa na ang resulta sa survey. There would be a minimum of five buildings sa atong City Hall nga magbutang ta og solar,” Archival said.
Initial sites identified for the installation include the executive building, the legislative building, the social development building, the city health department offices, and the city hall annex.
Cebu City currently spends between ?200 million and ?250 million a year on electricity. Of this amount, the executive building alone consumes about ?1 million per month, while the legislative building accounts for roughly ?700,000 monthly.
Archival earlier said the solar energy program could cut electricity costs by 10 to 20 percent, translating to savings of tens of millions of pesos annually.
The initiative is anchored on Ordinance No. 2772, authored by Archival himself and approved by the City Council on June 4, 2025. The ordinance mandates the integration of solar energy systems in government facilities.
Archival’s push for renewable energy predates his mayoralty. As a city councilor, he consistently advocated tapping Cebu City’s tropical climate for clean energy, warning that unchecked electricity spending was diverting funds away from essential social services. He framed solar adoption as both an environmental responsibility and a fiscal reform measure.
Now as mayor, Archival is moving to implement the reforms he long championed.
For him, the program goes beyond installing panels on rooftops. It is about accountability, fiscal responsibility, and demonstrating that Cebu City can lead in sustainable governance.
The rollout of solar panels across city hall is expected to mark a milestone in local governance, positioning Cebu City among the first in the country to institutionalize renewable energy at the core of government operations. — (FREEMAN)
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