Senator Win Gatchalian on Wednesday sponsored Senate Bill No. 1574 creating the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI), a world-class think tank meant to bridge research and policy gaps in fostering greater energy security, equity, and sustainability within the archipelago.
Inspired by similar energy think tanks at top American universities, PERPI will be an independent institution attached to the University of the Philippines Diliman and composed of scholars and energy sector professionals. PERPI will be tasked to conduct multidisciplinary energy research, incubate and develop cutting edge technologies, and serve as the sparring partner for the government during the energy policy-making process.
“As a publicly-funded institute, PERPI will be charged with ensuring its research output is used to craft energy sector reforms for the benefit the national economy and the lives of the Filipino people,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, said the energy research services being provided by the different existing institutes in the country are not sufficient to meet the country’s development needs.
“The energy sector is one of the most research-intensive fields within the public policy arena. Characterized by rapidly changing technologies which redefine the parameters of the game at a blistering pace, it is a challenge for even the most well-funded and fully-equipped energy sector players to keep abreast with the latest research,” Gatchalian explained.
“The country needs a more cohesive all-in-one institution that will focus on technical know-how and will be able to keep up with the fast-paced evolution of technology,” he added.
Gatchalian’s legislation proposes P200 million as the initial allocation of funds for the think tank. An Endowment Fund will also be established to further power the institute’s research.
“It is my sincere belief that the development of a stable, affordable and sustainable energy supply will be critical to meeting the country’s ambitious long term socio-economic goals. The research output of the PERPI, in turn, will be essential to turning this vision into a reality.” Gatchalian said. | SENATE-PR
