The new Duterte administration has promised to bring change to energy sectors and constituencies around the Philippines, committing to energize the whole country and provide reliable, efficient sources of Energy.

Today, two months since the President’s inauguration, it is time to look at the Duterte government’s first steps in implementing this agenda, and better understand its priorities now that it is in office and well away from the campaign trail.

With this in mind, the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi), in partnership with CitizenWatch Philippines, held an energy stakeholders forum yesterday at the Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Among the speakers were Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy; Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy); Department of Energy (DOE) Usec. Wimpy Fuentebella and DOE Asec. Atty. Richie Ramos; former DOE Usec. Atty. Jose M Layug, Jr.; and Debora Anastacia Layugan, Energy Regulatory Commmission Director for Market Operations.

Distinguished guests included Luis Miguel Aboitiz, President of the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, Inc.; Oscar S. Reyes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Meralco; Job Ambrosio, Chief Executive Officer of BioEq; Ramon Escueta, Director for Energy and Power at the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries; Atty. Monalyn Baquiran-Ong, Corporate Secretary of the Retail Electricity Suppliers Association; Raoul Fabella and Dennis Mapa, Energy Policy and Development Program Fellows; Ernest Leung, Foundation for Economic Freedom Fellow; and Efren Cortez, HOR Energy Committee Secretary.