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MANILA, Philippines — The govt plans to expand solar-powered irrigation systems as part of efforts to cut farming costs, strengthen food security and modernize the country’s irrigation network, acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Sunday.

Read more: https://mrf.lu/2rL9X

THE Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is pushing for accelerated investment in rooftop solar, battery storage and other distributed energy resources as a more sustainable way to protect the grid from unplanned outages, after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) increased allowable outage days for power plants.

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📰 GMA LIFESTYLE | Miss Jenny Lin Granados Maaño, the dynamic president of SunSmart Solar Power Technology, has carved out a unique space for herself as one of the youngest and most innovative Filipina women entrepreneurs in the energy sector. Her strategic business acumen and groundbreaking contributions to the field have not gone unnoticed and continues to make impact — one community to another.

Jenny Maaño

Beauty queen-turned-businesswoman advocates for solar energy use in underserved communities Jenny Lin Granados Maaño-Ngai aims to bring 'light' to more underserved communities in the Philippines.

"China built 8.6 million public EV chargers — more than the rest of the world combined — by treating charging infrastructure as essential utility, not optional amenity.

The contrast with Western EV charging is stark. In the US, charger availability, reliability, and payment systems vary so dramatically by operator that major EV owners carry multiple apps, multiple cards, and a tolerance for chargers that do not work on first attempt. In the UK, reliability surveys consistently show that significant percentages of rapid chargers fail to deliver on any given visit.

China decided early that EV charging was infrastructure — like water or electricity supply — and should be built and regulated as such. State-owned utilities, private operators, and real estate developers all received signals that charging density was a requirement, not a preference. Standards for reliability, payment, and performance were set and enforced.

The result: 8.6 million public charge points by end of 2023. Ultra-fast chargers delivering 480 kilowatts at highway service areas. Battery swap stations for taxis and commercial vehicles that complete an exchange in three minutes. Chargers in every apartment building car park, every shopping centre, every workplace.

Range anxiety is not a concept that requires extensive explanation to Chinese EV drivers. The infrastructure removed it before it could become a barrier.

Western countries are retrofitting charging infrastructure into environments built for petrol. China built the charging infrastructure and the EVs simultaneously. The sequence matters more than most analyses acknowledge.

Source: China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, 2023

Agus-Pulangi to undergo rehabilitation under PPP arrangement

PSALM emphasizes that the proposed PPP arrangement for the rehabilitation project does not involve the privatization of the Agus-Pulangi hydropower plants. The rehabilitation aims to enhance plant performance, extend the facilities' operational life, and strengthen the contribution of the Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex to Mindanao's energy security and renewable energy supply.

The Agus-Pulangi Hydropower Complex comprises six hydroelectric facilities along the Agus River, originating from Lake Lanao in Lanao del Sur through Marawi City, Saguiaran, and Baloi before flowing into Maria Cristina Falls in Iligan City. The seventh facility, the Pulangi IV Hydroelectric Power Plant, is located along the Pulangi River in Maramag, Province of Bukidnon.

The rehabilitation project aims to improve the reliability, efficiency, and long-term sustainability of one of Mindanao's most important renewable energy assets.

“As we pursue the rehabilitation of the hydropower facilities, we are seeking to leverage private sector expertise and resources through the PPP framework,” PSALM President and CEO Dennis Edward A. Dela Serna said.

Batay sa 2025 data, 34.8% ng kabuuang energy consumption ng Pilipinas ay ginagamit ng transport sector.

Kaya mahalaga hindi lamang kung gaano karaming energy ang ginagamit natin, kundi kung paano natin ito ginagamit, at kung paano natin gagawing mas efficient at mas malinis ang ating transportasyon.

Bahagi nito ang paglipat sa electric mobility.

Sa ilalim ng Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA), target na 5% pataas dapat ang EV share sa covered government and private fleets by 2034, at tataas pa sa 10% by 2040. Kasama rin sa roadmap ang pagpapalawak ng EV charging infrastructure at pagtukoy ng green routes para sa electric public transport.

Sa ganitong paraan, unti-unti nating nililinis ang energy use sa transport sector habang pinapahusay ang efficiency ng ating mga biyahe.

PASIG CITY, Philippines on August 8, 2026 SunSmart Solar Power Technology Inc. advanced a new model for Philippine public transportation through the E.V.E. Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Project—a holistic electric vehicle ecosystem — designed to integrate electric vehicles, standalone solar energy, battery storage, smart charging, transport operations, digital technology and livelihood opportunities into one sustainable mobility platform.

Developed through a tripartite cooperation partnership framework among SunSmart Solar Power Technology Inc., Pasig Green City Transport and Multipurpose Cooperative (PGCTMC), and E-VOLUTION Transport Manufacturing and Solutions Inc., the E.V.E. Project brings together integrated smart green energy solutions, innovative electric vehicle manufacturing technology and transport-cooperative operations.

The E.V.E. Energy Vehicle Ecosystem represents a vision of smart green transportation where technological modernization and economic empowerment move together as one.

Read More: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/09/11/solar-beauty-jenny-maano-launches-the-eve-project/

𝐃𝐎𝐄 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified an initial 369 unserved and underserved areas across 23 provinces, covering more than 100,000 unenergized households, for potential inclusion in upcoming microgrid competitive bidding. The initial list gives prospective Microgrid Service Providers early visibility of potential project areas and more time to assess sites and prepare viable proposals, subject to further validation and final determination by the DOE.

Through continued microgrid development, the DOE is working to bring reliable and affordable electricity closer to remote and last-mile communities. The initiative forms part of the Department’s implementation of the Microgrid Systems Act and its broader push toward total electrification, ensuring that more Filipino families can benefit from access to dependable power.

Read more at: https://doe.gov.ph/news/press-releases/doe-targets-100000-households-in-microgrid-push-for-total-electrification