PUBLIC STATEMENT | 14 October 2022 | 9PM Today, the Senate Committee on Finance approved the 2.2B PhP 2023 budget of the Department of Energy (DoE), including support for renewable energy development. However, consistent with our current energy privatization policy it hinges on foreign investments. Further, DoE Secretary Lotilla said that “... foreign investors are enthusiastic to venture into renewable energy in the Philippines provided that we are able to increase the equity or ownership limits for foreigners.” A Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion earlier said that investments in renewable energy are not subject to the Constitution’s 40-percent foreign ownership restriction citing that Section 2, Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution—on the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources—“only covers things that are susceptible to appropriation, thus excluding the sun, the wind and the ocean.”
While government; past & current, representing the same neo-liberal policies see nothing wrong with this, we in the Makakalikasan-Nature Party Philippines are seriously alarmed that we are missing on a great opportunity for energy security for the country through a shift to 100% renewable energy in the next 2-3 decades by treating our renewable energy development as part of national patrimony that are protected with preference to Filipinos.But such preference to Filipino control and ownership must go beyond neo-liberal economics that removes government control in favor of private investments. Whether we like it or not, the future of energy development in the world is renewable energy. Success of climate change mitigation rests on this. And the country, with its vast potential of renewable energy sources has the opportunity to optimize this for our future sustainable development. “But this cannot be realized until we shift away from neo-liberal economic policies and make renewable energy a protected national patrimony. In fact, the move to create a new GOCC for renewable energy to absorb the Philippine National Oil Corp.- Renewables Corp. (PNOC-RC) currently proposed in the lower house of Congress is a step in the right direction, but is not enough. More so, a DoE R.E. budget dependent on foreign capital infusion to make it succeed”, declared Makakalikasan Party President, Roy Cabonegro. Makakalikasan (Nature Party Philippines) is an emerging national green political party in the Philippines For more information Mobile phone 0966 3718760 Email: [email protected] |
Makakalikasan Party StatementsThese are official statements of the Makakalikasan-Nature Party Philippines Archives
October 2022
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