DENR, NBI offices score lowest in energy efficiency ratings


The regional offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) scored the lowest rating in terms of energy efficiency and conservation measures being implemented on government agencies all over the country.

Based on the report from spot checks carried out by the Department of Energy (DOE), which is spearheading the Inter-Agency Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC), the DENR office in Region VI and the NBI regional office in La Union just registered 2-star rating in their energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) performance.

The DOE has set 5-star as the highest rating for EE&C performance and a failing mark of 1-star, which will also entail penalty payment by the head of the agency.

Another agency that logged 2-star rating had been the Pangasinan regional office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), a government body that is overseeing and protecting the well-being of Filipino workers overseas.

As prescribed under Republic Act 11285 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, government agencies are mandated to achieve 10-percent savings on their electricity consumption as well as on fuel usage of their transport fleet with regular monitoring of their performance by the DOE-led IAEECC.

Government agencies that will register ratings of 2-star, 3-star and 4-star will have to be instructed to improve on their energy efficiency and conversation practices until they can hurdle the highest score of 5-star rating.

Of the national agencies already subjected to spot checks, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) registered relatively low rating of 3-star while the Department of Agriculture (DA) got 4-star rating.

As culled from the report, the DOE and other agencies in the energy sector garnered 5-star rating, including the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) and its subsidiary PNOC-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) as well as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), National Electrification Administration; National Transmission Corporation, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation and the National Power Corporation.

Further, the agencies managing the country’s economy also scored highest 5-star rating and these included the Department of Trade and Industry; Department of Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Philippine Statistics Authority; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Tariff Commission.

The other agencies which secured 5-star EE rating are: the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; National Telecommunications Commission (NTC); Land Transportation Office; National Water and Resources Board (NWRB); Department of Information and Communications Technology; Dangerous Drugs Board; Department of Agrarian Reform; Philippine Coconut Authority; National Food Authority; Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority; and the Mindanao Development Authority.

The others which clinched the highest EE rating have been: the national headquarters of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology; Court of Tax Appeals; Philippine Competition Commission; Office of the Ombudsman; Governance Commission for Government-owned and Controlled Corporations; Development Bank of the Philippines; Manila Naval Hospital; Philippine Navy; Philippine Institute for Development Studies; National Intelligence Coordination Agency, Commission on Audit; Civil Service Commission and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The energy department indicated that most of the agencies given 3-star and 4-star ratings are regional offices sited in various parts of the country.

The DOE report showed that those with 3-star rating had been the regional offices VI and VII of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP); PSA regional office VI; Region VII office of the National Youth Commission (NYC); Davao-Region XI office of the Commission on Human Rights; Davao-Region XI DENR office; Davao-Region XI office of the DOT; La Union Region I Office of the Civil Defense (OCD); La Union Region I office of the PSA: Region VI office of the DICT; Region VII office of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA); Region VII DOT office; Region VIII LTO office; Region XI CHR office; Region VII office of the Department of Education; Region VII CHR office; Region VII office of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority; Cebu provincial office of NCIP; Region XI office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Region XI Prosecution Office of the Department of Justice (DOJ); and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-Mactan Economic Zone.