Four Korean Firms View USD 4.4B Investment in PH Energy Sector

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Four Korean firms have expressed their intention to invest a total of USD4.4 billion in various energy projects in the Philippines, Department of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi today said.

The four firms: SK Engineering & Construction, Sy Enc Co., Ltd., BKS Energy Industry Ltd., and SK E&S, formally submitted their letters of intent during the Philippines-Korea Business Forum and Luncheon, which is part of the activities included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s official visit to the Republic of Korea.

“We welcome these investments, especially as we anticipate the growth of our economy and expected demand due to the government’s Build Build Build Program,” Cusi said, after receiving the letters of intent from the companies in South Korea.

SK Engineering & Construction, an EPC contractor in the Philippines, submitted its proposal for a coal-fired power plant and plans to expand its operations amounting to more than USD 2 billion in Quezon province. An EPC contractor normally handles all activities from design, procurement, construction, commissioning up to the handover of the project to the end-user or owner.

The power project in Quezon is expected to create at least 3,000 jobs per year during the construction period, and a total of 600 jobs per year during its operations.

On the other hand, Sy Enc Co., a renewable energy firm, submitted a proposal for a wind power generation project. The company plans to expand its operations amounting to over USD 255 million in the Philippines, which is projected to generate 10,000 jobs.

For its part, BKS Energy Industry Ltd. submitted a proposal for solar power generation and is looking at investing USD 500 million in the Philippines, which is projected to generate more or less 1,000 jobs per year.

SK E&S, which engages in the business of power generation, district energy, and city gas in both Korea and overseas, submitted its proposal for an LNG terminal hub. The company is planning to invest USD 1.6 billion, which they projected to generate 2,200 jobs during the construction period.

“We are expecting more Korean firms to express their interest in investing in Philippine energy projects. We are hoping that this will result in a more robust energy sector for the country, help our job generation efforts and boost our economy,” Cusi added.

DOE Consults Public on Power Policies

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POLICY DISCUSSIONS: In photo are the stakeholders participating in the discussions during the DOE’s public consultation on proposed power industry-focused policies on Monday (June 11) at the Legend Villas in Mandaluyong City.

The Department of Energy-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau (DOE-EPIMB) conducted on Monday (June 11), a public consultation on three proposed policies at the Legend Villas.

The public consultation solicited comments and suggestions from power industry stakeholders to further improve existing policies of the DOE.

Under the watch of Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, the DOE-EPIMB intends to issue three new policies concerning the power sector.

First is a policy prescribing a uniform monthly electricity bill format for the captive market of distribution utilities (DUs) to ensure greater transparency and public awareness.

The proposed policy calls for further transparency in the electricity bills of DUs by providing a breakdown of the transmission charge to include delivery and ancillary service charges, and itemized systems loss to identify technical and non-technical losses.

It also entails the adoption by all DUs of a uniform bill format, which can be easily understood by electricity end-users. The new bill format will reflect the status of bill deposits being charged by the DUs to the consumers, giving them updates on the principal and the interest earned.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), as prescribed in the draft Circular, will also provide the necessary regulatory issuances for the implementation of the policy within 60 days.

The second policy proposal prescribes the rules governing the review and evaluation of direct connection applications by industrial, commercial and other qualified electricity end-users, as well as ecozone enterprises.

This provides a transparent procedure on how the DOE will exercise its function to review and evaluate applications for direct connection of end-users and economic zone enterprises to the grid.

Applications for direct connections were previously being filed with the ERC until the Supreme Court declared that the direct supply of electricity is not within the ERC's jurisdiction to resolve, but falls within the purview of the DOE.

Currently, the ERC endorses to the DOE all previously filed applications for direct connections.

The third policy is for the efficient transition of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to the Independent Market Operator (IMO) regime.

The draft Department Circular on IMO Governance Arrangements primarily stipulates additional guidance and operational safeguards for the WESM under the IMO to ensure transparency, competitiveness, the protection of public interest, as well as the integrity of the WESM.

More than 150 participants attended the event, including representatives from the House Committee on Energy, National Electrification Administration, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, Philippine Electricity Market Corp., Philippine Competition Commission, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., generation companies, distribution utilities, electric cooperatives, retail electricity suppliers, direct customers, local government units of Bulacan and Ilocos Sur, the academe, and consumer group Citizen Watch.

For wider stakeholder involvement, the DOE will accept the public’s comments and suggestions on these proposed policies: (1) until 15 June 2018 for the Independent IMO Governance Arrangements; and (2) 30 June 2018 for both the Uniform Electricity Bill Format and the Direct Connection Guidelines.


Comments may be submitted via email through pmdd.wesm@gmail.com and epira.epimb@gmail.comor fax them to (02) 840 -1773.

Discovering Wild Plants To Forage In The Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Foraging, the natural art of scavenging for local ingredients, is thriving in the culinary world. The cost of food in the Philippines increased by 5.7% in May of 2018, causing families to look for more options in fresh produce and dairy products. As “food inflation” continues, despite the economic improvement, finding natural means of produce provides more than what the local groceries, sari-sari stores, and carinderia have to offer. In fact, our native country has so much to offer other than what is grown in the regions of Benguet or Mindanao.

Foraging: Stepping up to organic farms

This may be an unpopular concept for Manileans. However, you might be surprised to see the availability of natural food that grows along the less populated places in the country. Due to rapid industrialization and crop cultivation, our lands are quickly being eaten away upon acres of quality soil.  As a result, we turn to cultivated and processed food items. But, that does not mean we cannot find edible plants to forage with little to no cost at all.

Wild raspberry, Rubus rosifolius Linn

Locally known as “Tungaw-tungaw,” the native fruit is hollow with a tangy, strawberry taste. You can find this abundant plant in shrubs that grow up to six feet with whitish flowers and red fruits that resemble raspberries. They can be eaten raw or processed into juice, wine, or ripe jam. What’s more, these fruits are a rich source of phytochemicals that help fight Alzheimer’s and cancer cells.

Ti, Cordyline terminalis or Cordyline fruticosa

The Ti plant is an ornamental shrub with smooth, elliptic leaves up to 2 feet long. It comes in a variety of colors, such as red, green, yellow, pink, purple, and brown. Ti is a native plant in the Far East and works wonders as an edible source of survival, containing starch. The roots are used to make Okolehao, an alcoholic beverage. You can eat them baked or boiled, never raw.

Screw pine, Pandanus

Commonly seen in rainforests and mangroves, the screw pine can grow up to nine meters long, with stiff and saw-like edged leaves. The fruits are rough, similar to pineapples, yet the taste may be astringent and bitter. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

Are you planning to do some foraging in your local area or backyard? Isn’t it exciting to know that the palms and plants we often ignore are actually rich sources of food for survival and health? This time, you'll know which wild plants to look for during your next trip outdoors.