Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday (September 7) presented before the House Committee on Appropriations its P1.84 billion proposed “total agency budget” for next year, as part of the 2016 National Expenditure Program.
The bill lists the department’s “key strategies” for 2016:
Insitutionalize transparency in the energy sector
Facilitate establishment of strategic energy infrastructure
Institutionalize DOE-LGU [Local Government Unit] and academic partnership
Formulate regional energy plans
DOE Officer-in-Charge Zenaida Monsada said a portion of the budget will be used to provide electricity to households and sitios.
According to the bill, the DOE aims to bring electricity to more households: “19,545,183 in 2016 from 14,536,372 energized in 2010 (34% increase).”
“This is equivalent to a household electrification level of 86.20% by 2016,” the bill added. For 2017, it hopes to achieve “90% household electrification.”
Similarly, the department is also targeting 100 percent sitio electrification before President Benigno Aquino III steps down in June next year.
The DOE said that 6,360 sitios remain without electricity, and it will cost P582,000 to electrify a sitio.
Goals have also been introduced to increase the country’s use of sustainable energy sources.
The department aims to increase the share of clean energy over total energy supply to 50.6 percent by 2016. It also wants to “Increase biodiesel blend to 5% in 2015 from 2% in 2012; bioethanol blend will increase to 20% by 2020 from the 10% blend in 2011.”
In 2014, the department’s actual budget stood at P903.4 million. It currently stands at P4.6 billion.
CNN Philippines’ Patricia De Leon contributed to this report.
