Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said on Monday, July 4, that his administration will plan and launch more sustainable transport projects, programs, and activities for his second three-year term.
"Dadamihan pa natin ang mga electric vehicles natin sa ating lungsod. Marami pa tayong gagawin sa susunod na buwan at sa susunod na tatlong taon para sa sustainable transport (We will multiply the number of e-vehicles in our city. We will do a lot more things for sustainable transport in the coming months, and the next three years)," Sotto said during the launching and pilot demonstration of the e-vehicle charging station at the Pasig Mega Parking II on Monday morning.
The project was led by the Pasig City Transport and Management Office (CTMO) headed by Robert Anthony Siy, in partnership with non-governmental organization (NGO) Clean Air Asia, and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).
The e-vehicle charging station was among the local government's projects to "accelerate low carbon mobility in the city."
The station featured four charging pods, with a total of eight charging ports, powered by a solar-panel system.
According to a news release from Clean Air Asia on June 10, the charging station may be used by local government employees with e-trikes for free in the pilot stage of the project. After a two-month trial period, it will be opened for public use.
The NGO said it has also partnered with the local government for pilot projects on e-quadricycles, e-vans, and the creation of a software booking application as a centralized system for these e-vehicles.
"Ang layunin natin ay maging environmentally-friendly. Higit pa, gusto natin maging mobile ang ating lungsod at ating mga mamamayan sa paraang maganda para sa kalikasan (Our aim is to become environmentally-friendly. More importantly, we want to increase the mobility of our citizens and our city in ways that would benefit the environment)," Sotto said.
Siy said that part of addressing the current hikes in gas prices is promoting e-vehicles (e-scooters, e-bikes, e-tricycles, e-quadricycles), and building the necessary infrastructure to maintain them like the charging stations.
This would help solve the issue of traffic, pollution, and carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, he said.
Siy added that he aims for more charging stations to be built in the city as well as getting support from more advocates for e-vehicles.
Vice Mayor Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr., Congressman Roman Romulo, members of the new city council, and representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) also attended the event.
The Pasig City local government has previously advocated and utilized the use of electric mobility vehicles for public services.
In August 2021, Sotto signed Executive Order No. PCG-63 series of 2021, for the creation and appointment of a Steering Committee on Electric Mobility. They are tasked to plan and implement e-mobility programs in the local government in accordance with the Clean Air Act of 1999.
The group leads the city's initiatives for sustainable urban transportation in preparation for the city's transition to electric mobility such as the creation of walkway and cycling networks, bike sharing systems, and e-mobility training.
In 2020, Pasig City received 20 e-bikes and 10 e-tricycles from the Philippine Postal Corporation, which were donated by the UNEP, and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer TailG, to help the local government deliver relief goods during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The local government made use of these e-vehicles as transport services for frontliners, chronically ill and dialysis patients, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and persons with Covid-19 to quarantine facilities.