Despite a less-than-ideal Christmas and New Year celebrations this year, the Department of Energy (DOE) is trying to compensate that with assurance that the holiday break will not be messed up with power service interruptions.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi declared that the department “will continue to monitor and will act accordingly to ensure that our homes and businesses will be lit up and energized so we can celebrate Christmas safely and remain healthy amidst this pandemic.”

The DOE is keeping a close watch on both fuel supply and electricity services for consumers all over the country – but of the two commodities, it is power supply that is seen more critical as Filipinos enliven Christmas spirit in their homes.

As it stands today, the energy department said it can guarantee that “the nation’s power and fuel supply remains stable and reliable.”

Cusi indicated “we have a healthy and robust supply mix in place, where energy players are well aware of the increasing demand during this season.”

Even if quarantine protocols are still at varying degrees of rigidities, it is expected that many Filipinos may troop to other parts of the country to spend well-deserved time off from city life.

And with that anticipation, the energy chief cautioned “let us remain prudent in our celebrations at home so we can enjoy the blessing of good health and the promise of future reunions.”

There is fervent appeal from the government that when feasible, Filipino families must opt to avoid mass-scale reunions and gatherings so the country can continually contain the spread of coronavirus infections.

"We are looking forward to a better and safer year ahead,” the energy chief stressed primarily with prospects that Covid-19 vaccine may already be made available to Filipinos by the second half of next year.

 On the sphere of fuel supply, Cusi noted that even the shifting business models of some players – chiefly the oil refiners – will not spoil the energy access of consumers during the stretch of the holiday

season.

On prospects of wider re-opening of the economy, the DOE emphasized that it will “continue to take an active role” in meeting the country’s present and future energy needs.

“We continue to review our policies to make sure they are responsive to our current needs, as we strive to encourage foreign investors to consider the Philippines as their next destination,” Cusi stressed.