Renewable energy (RE) investments in the province of Iloilo are expected to come following the issuance of the Iloilo Provincial Ordinance-Renewable Energy Ordinance of 2022 (I-PORE 2022) last month.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo said it is the first local government unit to pass a law on RE which mandates the establishment of infrastructure and mechanisms for such technology while encouraging barangays, municipalities and cities to identify and allocate possible sites for RE investments as well as provide incentives according to the provincial investment code.
To fund the implementation, Iloilo will allocate a regular annual appropriation equivalent to at least 50 percent of 1 percent of the annual budget or about P21 million based on 2022 budget.
I-PORE 2022 is also seen to help Iloilo increase RE use by institutionalizing the development of local climate change adaptation capabilities and encouraging the development and utilization of RE sources as tools to prevent harmful emissions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Prior to the issuance of the ordinance, the Iloilo provincial government also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Energy, the United Nations Development Program and the Global Environment Facility in 2019, to integrate RE policies through the Development for Renewable Energy Applications Market Mainstreaming and Sustainability Project.
