“We all have to work together to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and below, or it will be a point of no return for us all.”
This was stressed by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson during the Provincial Stakeholders’ Consultative Power Summit at the University of St. La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod City on Friday, May 3.
Lacson said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the next few years are critical.
He said as of 2023, the warmest year to date, global temperature was already 1.35 degrees Celsius higher.
“Scientists predict that there’s a one-in-three chance of 2024 being warmer than 2023. Well, it feels like a three-in-three chance now. It is with this bigger context in mind that we gather here,” he added.
Lacson noted that this is a result of the common concerns about persistent brownouts and even blackouts, coupled with high electricity bills.
He said that this year, they signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the USLS to collaborate on the conduct of two Power Summits, the Consultative Summit and concluding summit end of June, and the observance of Renewable Energy (RE) Week on May 20-24.
He said on February 2024, they also launched the SecuRe Negros campaign, with the letters RE in Capital letters, to emphasize what all these initiatives (and more in the future), taken together, are all about.
“In short, we want to ensure energy security for our province, in ways that are not harmful to our people and our environment. We use the colors green and yellow to signify renewable energy (green) for a brighter future (yellow),” he added.
The governor stressed that all these are initial strategies for raising energy consciousness among the people and for bringing the different power sectors together.
“We believe in authentic and holistic development, which is a multidimensional and long-term process. We also believe that the best development plans must come out of those who are most affected by them. What affects us all must involve us all. This is why we are conducting this Provincial Stakeholders’ Consultative Power Summit today,” Lacson said.
The event was attended by key stakeholders from various sectors, including Generation/Power Producers, Distribution/Electric Cooperatives, Utilization/Energy consumers from Business and Industry, Academe, Civil Society, Finance/Banking Institutions, and Local Government Units (LGUs), including mayors.
It’s also attended by officials from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
The governor also announced that the Provincial Government will walk its talk by undertaking the solarization of seven main facilities this year, involving the installation of a total of 1,270 KW total installed capacity of Solar PV systems that will save an estimated 132,080 KWh to 158,000 KWh per month.
Lacson said at P12 per KWh, this translates to a cost saving of P1.5 million to P1.8 million every month.
“This is only the beginning. We are likewise urging our LGUs to follow the examples set by some of our mayors like La Carlota Mayor Dr. Rex Jalandoni and Sipalay Mayor Gina Montilla Lizares,” he said.*