By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
With fuel costs remaining well-above the stretched budgets of the citizenry, the government continues to seek measures to augment the country’s fuel buffer stock that would hopefully help in sustaining price rollbacks on petroleum products.
In an interview on the news program Rise and Shine Pilipinas, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin shared recent updates on the matter that is being closely monitored by Filipinos across airwaves and online.
Secretary Garin said that while it is difficult to predict the movement of fuel prices in the global market, she noted that the country still has 54 days’ worth of fuel to run automobiles, machineries, and power generation facilities across the country.
She likewise noted the upcoming arrival of 20,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States in May, which would augment the dwindling supply of LPG that serves as the lifeblood of several industries.
Moreover, she explained that oil companies procure fuel from China, Korea, and Japan—with the agency already in talks with Australia, India, Brunei, Argentina, Canada, and Colombia to ensure diversification of fuel sources.
The Energy chief warned against those who are taking advantage of the current situation, “If oil companies don’t follow, then we will make them explain. If you don’t follow, then minomonitor namin yan ngayon.”
On the future of domestic energy
Secretary Garin, meanwhile, shared some of the measures being undertaken by the agency to ensure energy security amid geopolitical developments in the Middle East.
These include a renewed push towards establishing solar farms, exploring indigenous sources of oil and gas, and accelerating the shift towards sustainable mobility.
Recently, the DOE incorporated five renewable energy projects into the energy grid, marking significant progress in the push to put 25 such projects into operation by the end of the month.
The newly operational projects are the 20.6 MW Hermosa Solar Power Project of Solana Solar Alpha Inc., the 17.5 MW Taft Solar Power Project of Taft Solar Energy Corporation, the 8 MW Biomass Cogeneration Plant (Expansion Project) of Central Azucarera de San Antonio, the 52.8 MW Cordon Solar Power Project of Greenergy For Global, Inc, and the 30 MW Arayat 3A Solar Power Project of Citicore Solar Pampanga 1, Inc.
With a combined capacity of 128.9 megawatts, these facilities are expected to power more homes while simultaneously driving down the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and petroleum products.
The Energy chief concluded her remarks by encouraging the citizenry to continue observing energy-saving measures to help the government in its quest to ensure adequacy of fuel amid these difficult times.
“Mag-ambag-ambag tayo, hopefully we can all contribute to relieving the pressure that’s caused by this problem, na magsave tayo. Kung hindi naman kailangan ng aircon natin, patayin natin. Kung mag-aircon man tayo, sana mga 24 degrees (Celsius) lang kasi malaking savings yan.
And the same way as your cars, imaintain natin palagi kasi kung hindi yan namamaintain, mas malaki ang konsumo sa diesel o kahit yung gulong niyan. Ang dami pong pwede nating iambag po na solusyon po sa bansa natin.”
jpv
