PGMA renews commitment to green industry, cites RP efforts to curb effects of
climate change
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today reiterated the country’s commitment to the promotion of resource-
efficient and low carbon industries at the close of the International Conference on Green Industry in Asia at the
Philippine International Convention Center.
Speaking before ministers and officials of 22 participating countries, United Nations officials, members of the
academe and civil society groups, President Arroyo cited her administration’s strategies to integrate climate
change initiatives in Philippine policies.
“We are pressing ahead with a massive Green Philippine Environmental Plan that is comprehensive in scope
and thorough in execution –a plan that includes reforestation, preservation of our reefs and waterways and
scrubs the land and air of pollutants that endanger the health of our citizens, and energy independence,” she
said.
As part of the Philippines’ contribution to green industry, the Chief Executive told the ministers and heads of
participating countries that her government enacted the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, a landmark law
promoting the development, use and commercialization of renewable energy resources.
The law, she noted, provides generous fiscal and non-fiscal initiatives to stimulate investments in the
renewable energy sector.
“Feed-in tariffs provide reassurance to investors in wind, solar, ocean, run-of-river hydropower, and biomass
resources. The law also seeks to institutionalize a Renewable Portfolio Standard, requiring the country’s
electric utilities to obtain a certain portion of their electricity from lean, homegrown renewable energy
resources. It also exempts proceeds from the sale of carbon credits from all taxes,” she added.
Further, the President explained that country’s agenda towards green industry puts an emphasis on a
sustainable economic model which brings economic opportunity and a concern for the environment.
“Too many nations believe the environment must be sacrificed at the altar of growth. We believe otherwise. We
have a unique opportunity to get it right from day one: to introduce new industries that are clean and profitable,”
she stressed.
The Chief Executive pointed out that during her administration, indigenous energy rose from 48 percent to 58
percent and attained 67 percent self-sufficiency in electric power production.
With the Renewable Energy Law, the government plans to double the amount of power generated from
renewable energy by 2020.
She likewise mentioned the country’s Biofuels Act that is making significant contribution to the green
Philippines program.
“In February this year, we mandated a one-percent bio-diesel blend which we have now increased to two
percent. We have also mandated a five-percent bioethanol blend for unleaded gasoline,” she said.
The President cited her administration’s plan to promote the use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) among
buses plying south of Manila and to pursue investors in building CNG stations and natural gas pipelines.
In the same event, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Jose L. Atienza turned over the approved
Manila Declaration on Green Industry in Asia and Framework of Action adopted by 21 ministers and heads of
states who attended the conference.
While the Manila Declaration and Framework of Action is a non-binding document, it outlines the steps
needed to reduce resource intensity and carbon emissions of Asian industries. It also provides a mechanism
to periodically review and assess progress in implementing the framework of action towards a low-carbon
future.
The Manila Declaration encourages Asian countries to set the appropriate institutional and policy framework
towards a transition to resource-efficient and low-carbon industries. It calls for measures such as the
incorporation of cleaner production policies in national development plans, and the fostering of a viable
business environment conducive to investments in green industries.
Moreover, it encourages the promotion of the increased use of renewable energy and energy-efficient
processes in the industrial sector, research and development programs that will lead to green innovation, and
investments and financing in low-carbon and resource-efficient manufacturing industries.
The Framework of Action calls for the establishment of a communications strategy to enhance awareness
towards green industries performance tools. It also calls for a network of green industries by setting up of
energy management standard among Asian countries.
It is envisioned that elements of the Manila Declaration and Framework of Action would provide inputs to
related activities and initiatives, such as the United Nations Summit on Climate Change in New York this
month, the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) General Conference on the theme “Green
Industry” in December, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year.
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PGMA urges Cavite to invest in MRFs
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TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today underscored anew the importance
of material recovery facilities (MRFs) in every Filipino community as she urged barangay officials to invest in
the establishment of MRFs.
On her regular Friday solid waste management and climate change briefing at the Legislative Building
session hall of the provincial capitol here, the President said the establishment of MRFs in every community
will help reduce solid waste disposal at the household level and will, likewise, provide additional livelihood
opportunities to residents.
“It is cheaper than maintaining sanitary landfills and open dumpsites,” the President said.
Every Friday, the President visits municipalities in a particular province as part of the government’s “Zero
Basura” campaign to mitigate the impact of global warming.
Out of 829 barangays in the province, only 21 percent or 179 barangays have complied with the government’s
waste disposal campaign.
“The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) continues to support your sanitary landfill
project. But while the project is still in limbo, we want your province to prioritize the establishment of MRFs in
all barangays here in Cavite,” Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Joselito Atienza told Cavite
Governor Erineo Maliksi during the same briefing.
For her part, the President assured Maliksi the DENR will study the possibility of increasing the national
government’s standard 20 percent share in financing the establishment of MRF, particularly in municipalities
that cannot raise funds for the project.
The President also announced the Philippine National Police Academy in Silang is allocating a parcel of land
inside its 50-hectare property for the construction of an MRF.
“With the participation of barangays, municipalities, cities, and provincial governments, we will produce a
green province of Cavite, a green CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) and a green
Philippines,” she noted.
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RP’s global competitiveness better in last two years
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The Philippines was actually more globally competitive in the last two years than in 2001 when President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over.
“Let’s look at the entire history of our performance in this survey. We almost made it from the lower to the
upper half of the survey in 2007 and 2008,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar.
Conducted annually by the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF), the Philippines achieved a
percentile ranking of 54.2 percent in 2007 and 53 percent in 2008, both significantly better than the 64 percent
rate the country received in 2001.
Olivar added the country’s decline in ranking under WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) could also be
traced to the increase in the number of countries surveyed.
When the WEF ranked the Philippines at number 48 in 2001, there were only 75 countries surveyed. This year,
the country placed 87th out of 133 countries, or almost double the number of countries ranked in 2001.
In a separate survey on ease of doing business, the World Bank echoed Olivar’s statement, saying the “slight
drop could simply reflect faster improvement by a number of other countries.”
“The World Bank gave us credit for reforms aimed at easing the processes for credit access, paying taxes, and
closing down insolvents,” said Olivar.
The country dropped from a ranking of 141 in 2008 to 144 this year under the World Bank survey that covered
183 countries.
“So will investors be moving their factories to Switzerland (which displaced the United States as the most
competitive country under the WEF survey)? Are we really in danger of losing our tourists, BPOs (business
process outsourcing), or electronics factories to higher-ranked countries like El Salvador (which is ranked
higher this year at 81st), Botswana (70th), Mauritius 61st)?” Olivar asked.
He said the President wants the country to become a First World or prosperous country within a generation.
“Where she wants us to be is in the top 20 percent,” Olivar said, stressing the chief executive has set the
foundation for economic growth for which future presidents can build on.
“Only with relentless economic growth will we enlarge our middle class; and only with a large enough middle
class can we truly escape poverty, learn civic conscience, and impose unbending rule of law,” Olivar said.
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