Senator Sherwin Gatchalian supported an additional P28 million fund for the Department of Energy by 2021.
In the proposed programs and activities of the Department of Energy and its attached agencies, the goal of additional funding is energy security and energy self-sufficiency for the betterment of the service of the agent and more service, as well as technological change.
The budget was allegedly increased due to previous disasters, from the eruption of Taal Volcano to the latest typhoons. The damage to the electric cooperatives reached P829 million.
He said it would also allocate a budget for research and comprehensive planning for the new energy technology.
According to Drilon, the power poles in the middle of the roads under the road widening are noticeable.
“This is something we must address because of the issues related to number 1, the safety of the road network and number 2 the public funds that we devote to it are in terms of the widening of the road has become useless because the widening of the road has become parking lots,” he said.
Additional P28M budget for Department of Energy urged
According to Gatchalian, 60,000 poles are obstructing streets throughout the Philippines, and it needs a budget to remove these poles.
The road widening program includes the removal of poles but lack of coordination, so Gatchalian and the Department of Public Works and Highways allegedly talked about it.
They also discussed Malampaya Gas, which provides the Philippines with a large electricity source with a contract until 2024. About 2,300 megawatts, or 20 percent of the country’s electricity, comes from it, but there are already plans for another energy source.
Gatchalian says it is necessary to maintain a 2,300 megawatts power supply rather than using more expensive diesel.
“The direction of DOE is to encourage the private sector to build receiving terminals for because we haven’t discovered new sources of gas in our country,” he explained.
Drilon also questioned the impact of typhoon Ulysses on energy. According to Gatchalian, 74 to 99 percent of the electricity was restored in Cagayan while only 3 percent of the power supply was restored in Catanduanes. It is said that the total amount of damage caused by disasters this year will reach P829 million.