Creation of PH Energy Research Institute to ‘bridge policy gap’ in energy sector

Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco. Photo from the Office of Cong. Velasco

MANILA, Philippines — The creation of the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) will bridge gaps in the energy sector in the country for the benefit of Filipinos, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco said Tuesday.

Velasco made the remark as he hailed President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to sign Republic Act No. 11572, which establishes the PERPI.

“This is a major victory for the energy sector as the new law will help improve the country’s ability for energy research and policy creation, and we thank President Duterte for his action on this matter,” Velasco, who authored the measure in the House of Representatives, said in a statement.

READ: Duterte signs law creating Energy Research and Policy Institute

According to Velasco, the institute would help “bridge the research and policy gap in the energy sector for the benefit of the Filipino people.”

“It [is] high time for the Philippines to develop a stable, sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy supply by harnessing the latest research and technology available in order to meet the country’s growing demand for energy,” Velasco said.

Under the law, the new institute will be an independent agency attached to the University of the Philippines and will have a separate budget from the state university.

Objectives of the new agency include conducting research on energy issues and ensuring the coordination and dissemination of results to key government agencies to guide policy and decision-making processes.

The body is also expected to provide timely technical and strategic assistance to the government, energy regulators and Congress, on energy-related matters requiring policy direction and advice. It shall also serve as a medium in bringing together local and international experts in the field of energy through local and international linkages.