Camille Naredo

The Department of Energy (DOE) inaugrates its electric bus and charging station at the agency’s headquarters in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig on June 7, 2023.

The Department of Energy (DOE) inaugrates its electric bus and charging station at the agency’s headquarters in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig on June 7, 2023.  Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

DOE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday swiftly ended the hearing for the proposed P3.8 billion budget of the Department of Energy (DOE) for 2026, terminating discussions in just a matter of minutes.</p><p>This is in keeping with tradition of sparing former lawmakers now serving in the Cabinet from prolonged scrutiny.</p><p>Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez led the motion to terminate deliberations, citing long-held House practice.</p><p>“In accordance with the long-held tradition, the former colleague who is appointed as secretary of a department of government… I move that we dispense and terminate the budget of the DOE office of the secretary,” Rodriguez said.</p><p>His motion was promptly seconded and carried without objection, effectively ending the DOE budget hearing.</p><p>The sitting DOE Secretary is Sharon Garin, who formerly served as Iloilo representative.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1503702233987011%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The DOE’s proposed 2026 budget amounts to P3.839 billion, reflecting a 24.4 percent increase from the previous year. According to DOE officials, the budget focuses on three priorities: accelerating renewable energy adoption, modernizing the power grid, and maintaining affordability for vulnerable sectors.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR ELECTRIFICATION</strong></div><p>Despite the swift termination of the hearing, lawmakers seized the chance to press DOE’s attached agencies for more resources, particularly for the National Electrification Administration (NEA).</p><p>Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez raised concerns over the funding gap in NEA’s Sitio Electrification Program (SEP).</p><p>NEA administrator Antonio “Nani” Almeda admitted that funding has fallen short of what is needed.</p><p>“For the Sitio electrification, we are given the amount of P5 billion for 2026. Based on the five-year program that we have formulated… for us to achieve 100 percent electrification on the franchise areas of the electric cooperatives, we are in need of around P69 billion. We are already given I think more or less P7.5 billion since 2023. So that leaves us the amount of P61 billion to still raise,” Almeda said.</p><p>Rodriguez emphasized that electrification is long overdue in many areas, particularly in Mindanao.</p><p>“Electrification cannot wait. Our people, especially Mindanao, the lowest city electrification is found in the island paradise of Mindanao. A land always of unfulfilled promise. Let us promise. Let us now fulfill the promise,” he said.</p><p>Almeda committed to prioritizing Mindanao, acknowledging the persistent low electrification rate in the region.</p><p>The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) also came under scrutiny as lawmakers highlighted its limited resources and its capacity to regulate the energy sector effectively.</p><p>ERC Chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan, admitted their agency continues to operate under severe financial strain.</p><p>“If we can be given a percentage of the use of our revenues, even just a small one, so we can beef up the competence of our staff and hire more technical personnel with experience to handle the volume of work that is on our table,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CALLS TO ADDRESS LOCAL POWER ISSUES</strong></div><p>Misamis Occidental Rep. Sancho Oaminal aired local grievances in Misamis province on high power costs and unreliable supply from their electric cooperative.</p><p>“For the past 10 years, our members and consumers have been paying more than our neighbors because iyong electric cooperative po natin nag-oversubscribe po siya by more than 10 megawatts per month. And last time I checked, it was around P12 million per month na paid but unused energy distributed to the consumers,” Oaminal said.</p><p>Almeda pledged to personally visit the province: “This is my personal commitment to you. I will go there myself to check on the conditions of the distribution infrastructure… I will make sure that you will be in the list of my priority on the barangay line enhancement.”</p><p>ERC officials also promised to review contracts and reset distribution utility rates to ease the burden on consumers.</p>

<p>The House Committee on Appropriations swiftly ended the hearing for the proposed P3.8 billion budget of the Department of Energy, terminating discussions in just a matter of minutes.</p>

The House Committee on Appropriations swiftly ended the hearing for the proposed P3.8 billion budget of the Department of Energy, terminating discussions in just a matter of minutes.

House ends DOE’s 2026 budget hearing in minutes, upholding courtesy tradition for former lawmakers

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House ends DOE’s 2026 budget hearing in minutes, upholding courtesy tradition for former lawmakers

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2025 06:54 PM PHT

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Energy Regulatory Commission

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