BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental — The Department of Energy (DOE) is stepping up its push for energy efficiency across local governments in the Visayas, urging LGUs to make smarter energy use a permanent part of public-sector operations as the region continues to face power-supply challenges.
The DOE held its 3rd Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) Summit–Visayas Leg in Bacolod City, bringing together more than 100 energy-efficiency personnel and representatives from LGUs in Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, as well as the Negros Island Region.
The summit, held under the theme “Advancing Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Local Governance in the Visayas,” focused on strengthening compliance with government energy-management policies while encouraging LGUs to reduce unnecessary consumption, improve public facilities and explore renewable-energy solutions.
DOE: This is bigger than simply cutting electricity bills
DOE-Visayas Field Office Director Engineer Renante Sevilla stressed that the Government Energy Management Program is not merely an austerity measure designed to lower government electricity expenses.
Instead, the program seeks to change how government offices consume and manage energy so that savings from reduced waste can potentially be redirected to other essential public services.
The DOE also acknowledged that international energy disruptions and recurring power-supply constraints in the Visayas remain challenges that individual LGUs cannot solve on their own.
But Sevilla said local governments can control how efficiently they use the energy available to them.
That means reducing unnecessary consumption, improving the efficiency of government facilities, considering viable renewable-energy options and encouraging sustainable practices at the local level.
What LGUs are being asked to strengthen
During the summit, participants discussed the rules and guidelines governing GEMP, including energy-audit procedures and requirements for government buildings, as well as developments involving net metering.
The DOE said the discussions were intended to strengthen the capabilities of Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) personnel, promote energy-saving measures in everyday government operations and improve coordination among agencies and LGUs.
The push is also anchored on Republic Act No. 11285, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, which institutionalizes energy efficiency and conservation as a national policy.
Recent government directives have likewise reinforced the role of government agencies and LGUs in reducing energy and fuel consumption. Memorandum Circular No. 114, issued in 2026, directs government offices and instrumentalities to strengthen energy-conservation measures.
Some Visayas LGUs are already showing results
The DOE’s renewed push comes as several LGUs in the region have already begun demonstrating what stronger energy management can look like.
In April, the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Complex received a 5-Star rating for GEMP compliance following a DOE spot check. Among the practices cited were its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Desk, designated energy officers, driver training, carpooling and measures to limit unnecessary travel.
The provincial government has also invested in a 100-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system, while local policies have reinforced energy and fuel conservation.
Iloilo City has also reported a 19% reduction in electricity consumption at City Hall following energy-saving measures, underscoring the potential impact of conservation efforts at the local-government level.
Solar power increasingly part of the equation
The efficiency campaign is also being paired with a broader push toward renewable energy.
Earlier this month, the DOE partnered with five Eastern Visayas LGUs—Leyte, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Tacloban City—to accelerate the adoption of solar power and energy-efficient technologies in government buildings under its Solar Solutions for Government: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Public Buildings program.
The initiative is designed to help government facilities reduce electricity costs while improving energy resilience and increasing the use of clean-energy technologies.
The DOE has also been promoting energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects in Western Visayas, reflecting a broader strategy to make local governments active participants in the country’s energy transition.
Why the push matters now
The timing is significant.
The Visayas grid has experienced periods of tight supply and generating-unit outages in 2026, putting greater attention on both additional power supply and demand-side management. DOE officials have simultaneously been promoting renewable-energy projects, energy storage and other measures intended to strengthen the region’s energy security.
Energy efficiency cannot replace the need for adequate generation capacity, but cutting avoidable consumption can help government institutions make better use of available power while reducing operating costs.
For cash-strapped local governments, the potential benefit goes beyond electricity savings: every peso avoided through unnecessary energy consumption is a peso that could potentially be redirected to public services.
The DOE’s message to Visayas LGUs is therefore straightforward: energy efficiency is no longer just an environmental objective—it is increasingly becoming part of energy security, fiscal management and sustainable local governance.
And with more LGUs being encouraged to combine conservation with solar and other renewable-energy technologies, the next test will be whether these initiatives can move from individual success stories into a sustained, region-wide transformation of how government consumes energy.
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