The Senate is close to approving the creation of the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI), the country’s first energy think tank that could bridge research and policy gaps in the energy sector.

Senator Win Gatchalian expresses dismay over a report by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that only 30% percent of barangays nationwide, or an estimated 12,614 out of 42,045, are practicing segregation, emphasizing that the waste heirarchy of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ (3Rs) is a failure.

The Senate Committee on Energy chaired by Senator Win Gatchalian will dig deeper into the constitutional violations that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) committed with respect to its concession and franchise agreements.

Senator Win Gatchalian wants to look into the operations of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to verify whether Filipinos are in charge of its day-to-day management amid national security concerns.

While the Department of Energy awaits Malacanang’s reply on its submitted nuclear policy, Senator Win Gatchalian said the DOE should release a report to the public on the integrated work plan for nuclear power infrastructure in the country.

Senator Win Gatchalian has called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to make full use of the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop (EVOSS) Law and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Law to ensure adequate power supply in anticipation of a high demand during the summer season.

Senator Win Gatchalian has once again pressed for the immediate issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) for the “Murang Kuryente Act,” saying that the delay denies ordinary Filipinos of having cheap electricity.

To protect consumers from premature price increases and profiteering, Senator Win Gatchalian urges the Department of Energy (DOE) to create a task force that will closely monitor the implementation of the new round of increases in excise tax on fuel this January.

With Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu’s pronouncements that the country, particularly Metro Manila, is now in the middle of a garbage crisis, Senator Win Gatchalian calls on everyone to manage their waste and practice environmentally friendly activities, especially in this time of the year.