Silliman University supports proposed Renewable Energy Code of Negros Oriental

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

DUMAGUETE CITY – Silliman University (SU) pledged to support the proposed Negros Oriental Renewable Energy Code as the province celebrated the Renewable Energy Day last March 5 calling the public and other institutions to support the proposed code that has been approved on the first reading.

Silliman said it fully supports the move to institutionalize the ordinance [Negros Oriental Renewable Energy Code] declaring the Province as an environment-friendly and a ‘clean energy’ province, said Office of Information and Publications (OIP) Director Melita Aguilar, who represented SU in the event on behalf of President Betty Cernol McCann.

Silliman University believes that the ordinance fully conveys environmental concerns, promotes responsible utilization and development of energy resources that would allow a dynamic growth for the communities in Negros Oriental.

According to Atty. Jose A. Baldado, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member and principal author of the ordinance that it needs to be pass otherwise executive orders made by the Provincial Government on renewable energy would not be enforceable.  The ordinance was crafted to address climate change and the need to economically develop the province, he added.

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, a known advocate for renewable energy, lauded the province to accelerate the promotion, development, and utilization of its indigenous renewable energy resources, but he also urged the province to adopt more concrete and time-bound provisions in the proposed ordinance.

 “We need firm policies that would finally end the use of fossil fuels in the Negros Island and remove barriers to the development and utilization of renewable energy,” Alminaza said.

 Alminaza mentioned data from the REpower Negros study published by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development in September 2020 that 95 percent of the Negros Island’s installed capacity mix comes from renewable energy sources.

Alminaza, a co-convener of the Withdraw from Coal campaign group and the REpower Negros movement continued that around 70 percent of electricity in Negros Island is still sourced from neighboring coal and diesel-powered plants. 

He added that the phaseout of unnecessary coal consumption must be pursued, he went on that the phase out of coal will not diminish energy security in Negros since renewable resources can sufficiently supply energy however, renewable energy must be maximized and further integrated into the grid.

Representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE-7); Philippine Chamber of Commerce of Industry (PCCI-7); the Energy Development Corporation (EDC); St. Paul University Dumaguete, Negros Oriental State University; other government agencies and civil society organizations in the province also pledged their support for the proposed ordinance during the event.

Aguilar said that the celebration of Renewable Energy Day sealed Silliman’s efforts not just for now but for the future after all, the provincial government’s efforts also complement the advocacy of the University in protecting and conserving the environment.

In its commitment to environmental conservation and protection, Silliman continues to advocate for renewable energy since 2016. It has been utilizing its solar panels on campus which are installed at the College of Business Administration building, SU Main Library, and the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium, Aguilar bared.

In 2018, the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental declared March 5 as Renewable Energy Day to commemorate its commitment to renewable energy sources.

According to Aguilar that in the first Renewal Energy Day celebration in the province in March 2019, Silliman was invited to present its best practices in utilizing solar energy. Electrical and Mechanical Engineering students from the SU College of Engineering and Design also presented their projects that generated renewable energy. 

Silliman is also a longtime academic partner of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the largest producer of geothermal energy in the country, for its various corporate social responsibility projects such as the BINHI Program and others, Aguilar said. (Photos: OIP/EDC)