Leading the way toward energy efficiency, conservation in Naga

By Atty. Oying Rosales

In a 2014 study by the World Wide Fund for Nature, it was revealed that Naga City is one of the most calamity-vulnerable cities in the Philippines. Aware of the disastrous effects brought about by global warming and conditioned by the staggering rise of fuel and electricity expenditures of the City Government last 2022, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga enacted City Ordinance 2023-010, also known as the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Ordinance of Naga City, which was approved last February 7, 2023.

This important piece of legislation sets the City Government at the forefront of energy efficiency and conservation efforts primarily through internal governance mechanisms aimed at producing savings of at least 10% in fuel and electricity consumption which translates to about 14 million pesos of available funds which we could use for other social and infrastructure projects of the City for its constituents.

Likewise, the ordinance also adopts energy efficient procurement strategies, including the use of clean and indigenous sources of energy such as solar power and alternative fuel in our facilities and vehicles. This, in effect, will help lessen the emission of greenhouse gases in the City of Naga which is a key driver in climate change.

As to the retrofitting and construction of new buildings, aside from government-owned facilities, commercial and industrial buildings shall then be required to comply with the guidelines issued by the Department of Energy and DPWH on the energy conserving design of buildings which will allow the big players in the private sector to do their fair share in promoting a healthier and greener environment.

The challenge, as one City Government Official put it, is in the implementation. The challenge, with the City Government leading by example, is for the private sector, down to every Nagueño household to reciprocate this initiative. The impact of the efforts we do today will not be immediate but the bottomline is a future we will all only realize if we, altogether, act today. A future we will all thank ourselves for.. because we all did our part.

https://oyingrosales.com/2023/02/14/leading-the-way-toward-energy-efficiency-and-conservation-in-naga-city/