DOE chief’s ‘move’ preempted

THE Department of Energy (DOE) yesterday denied reports that Sec. Rene Almendras is set to transfer as the new head of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) as reported by Philstar.com.

DOE Assistant Secretary Ina Magpale Asirit said the report is unofficial and did not even mention the source.

“We don’t know about it. It’s up to Malacañang to announce it if ever it is true.

Let’s just wait for Malacañang’s statement,” said Asirit, the daughter of Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and Almendras’s niece.

Asirit said Almendras is still abroad as part of the entourage of President Benigno Aquino III in his state visit to the United Kingdom and the Unied States.

Almendras is the brother of Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Almendras Magpale and a relative of Danao City Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III.

Cebuanos

Almendreas spent nearly three decades in the private sector before joining the Aquino cabinet. HIs previous executive positions include being appointed as CEO of Cebu Holdings, Inc. and Vismin Business Group Head for Ayala Land. Other Cebuanos who used to work in the PMS include Cerge Remonde, Marilou Dematera Frostrom and lawyer Aristotle Batuhan.

Maria Elena Bautista-Horn and Rigoberto Tiglao of the Philippine Daily Inquirer also used to head the PMS.

Meanwhile, the DOE under Almendras is presently aggressive in promoting renewable energy (RE) development and use and identified long-term goals such as the increase in RE-based capacity by 100 percent by 2013 and the increase of non-power contribution of RE to the energy mix by 10 million barrels of fuel oil equivalent (MMBFOE) in 10 years.

Leader

Asirit said that as can be read in the DOE website, the government is aiming to make the country the leading geothermal producer in the world; number one wind energy producer in South East Asia; double the hydro capacity by 2013; and expand the contribution of biomass, solar and ocean sources to the renewable power by about 131 megawatts.

Almendras also wants the maximum implementation of the Expanded Rural Electrification Program or the ERE Program, which involves electrification of sitios and households.

With the ERE program, the DOE wants to achieve 90 percent household electrification by 2017.

Almendras created the ERE Program Team that spearheads the development of various innovative service delivery mechanisms toward achieving greater access to electricity services.