FORMER senator and presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday vowed to increase energy production in the country using alternative sources such as geothermal and hydroelectric power plants as well as putting up more solar and wind power farms.
Marcos led a caravan Sunday around Alabang while vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, held a “meet and greet” with Muntinlupa officials.
Marcos, in his weekly video blog, said a big chunk of people’s wage goes to electricity, the price of which he said must could go down if there is an ample supply of energy in the country.
“Ang misyon natin para sa ating bansa ay magkaroon ng sapat, maasahan at abot kaya na kuryente para sa lahat (Our mission is for the country to have enough, dependable and affordable supply of electricity for all,” he said.
Marcos said if he wins the elections, he will put up additional geothermal and hydroelectric power plants and install more solar and wind power farms nationwide. He said he wants to see Ilocos Norte’s use of renewable power such as solar and wind power to be replicated in other parts of the country.
Marcos said the government can also put up a “large-scale battery storage” to help preserve energy and electricity by storing the excess or unused solar or wind power for use later. He said this technology is being used in other countries in Europe as well as in the United States and Australia. He said in the Philippines, San Miguel Corporation is already operating one.
Marcos also suggested further studies on proposal to revive the Bataan nuclear power plant, a brainchild of his father, the late president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
President Duterte approved last month the inclusion of nuclear energy in the country’s energy mix for power generation along with the development of a nuclear power program to increase the energy supply and meet the demand for electricity in the Philippines.
Duterte-Carpio reiterated she and Marcos are prioritizing job creation and the revival of small businesses that have closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She reiterated that it is time to end the use of the alert level system, which determines how much of a business can operate at a given period due to the presence of the COVID-19 cases, due to the current high vaccination rates and other protocols that are already in place.
