Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Energization of Citicore Solar Batangas 1 Power Plants

Thank you very much, Secretary Sharon Garin for your introduction.

[Please take your seats.]

The Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Agus Widjojo; and esteemed members of the Diplomatic Corp; Batangas First District Representative Leandro Leviste; Provincial Vice Governor of Batangas, Hermilando Ingco “Dodo” Mandanas; the Municipality of Tuy, Mayor Jose Jecerell Cerrado;Chairman of Citicore Renewable’s Edgar Saavedra who spent his time talking – showing off about all of their successes. Pero may karapatan, may “K”, may “K”. Talagang ginawa nila ‘yung mga sinasabi niya. [applause]; Citicore Renewable’s President, CEO Oliver Tan; and all of the Citicore employees and officials [applause]. Tama ‘yan palakpakan ninyo sarili ninyo. Malaking bagay itong nagawa ninyo rito. It is a very, very important step. My fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, a good day to everyone.

As a former governor, I was one of those who believed in the promise of renewable energy. At the same time, I also saw how some clean energy technologies had begun to compete with agriculture for limited land, which threatened global food security.

Many people may not know but in my time as governor of Ilocos Norte, we put up the first commercial wind farm in Southeast Asia. Ganoon ang aking paniniwala sa renewables.

We have now moved more the solars, simply because the technology has improved. It is a little more affordable and especially with the development of the battery technology…One of the weaknesses always seen about renewable – and then for renewable, I include solar, wind, even wave energy collection. All of these other renewables, laging nagiging problema papaano ‘yung baseload. Ano ‘yung baseload? Base load is essentially for the industries who run their factories at night because it is the cheapest rate.

Ngayon ‘pag hindi – wala – hindi naka – hindi – walang araw at gabi, eh walang ano – balik na – kagaya ng naipaliwanag, we go back to fossil fuel.

With the advent of actual reliable and viable energy battery technology, we can now get around that problem. We can now get around that weakness of renewable energy because of battery technologies, will be able to collect power and to continue to provide that power even when there is no sun, even when mahina – maulap halimbawa, o umuulan, o may bagyo, nandiyan naman ‘yung mga batera, kahit papaano makakapagbigay pa rin ng kuryente para sa taong-bayan.

Today, we just witness the energization of the first hybrid agro-solar and battery storage system in the country that will bring hope for a safer and cleaner future, while at the same time helping secure our food supply.

Another new feature of this project is the fact that there is the use – the same land to grow crops, to grow vegetables, to grow agricultural products, so that the – the land is categorized as agro-energy, which is a new category altogether.

So, Secretary Sharon, we have to work hard for the government to catch up. This is what we… the government has to catch up to the technology that our private sector partners are providing.

Dito sa Batangas, pinapakita natin sa buong mundo na ang solar power ang daan tungo sa isang pangmatagalan at malinis na paraan ng pagbibigay liwanag sa ating mga tahanan at industriya.

The Lumbangan and Luntal Power Projects of Citicore Solar Batangas 1 gives us up to 197 megawatts of renewable energy, reinforced by a 320 megawatt-hour battery storage system.

Ibig sabihin, makakapaghatid ito ng kuryente sa hanggang 158,000 kabahayan.

Mababawasan din ng higit sa 265,000 toneladang carbon dioxide emission kada taon. Malaki-laki ‘yun, 265,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission. [applause]
Katumbas ng pagtanggal ng libo-libong sasakyan sa kalsada. Mas malinis ang hangin, mas ligtas ang ating kapaligiran.

Sa pamamagitan naman ng AgroSolar initiative, nakikipag-ugnayan ang Citicore sa ating mga magsasaka upang magtanim sa ilalim at sa paligid ng mga solar panel.

Bukod sa nagagamit nang husto ang espasyo, makakadagdag pa ito sa kita ng mga magsasaka at makakatulong pa sa pagtiyak natin sa suplay ng pagkain.

Ang tawag sa ganitong gawi ay agrivoltaics. Ibig sabihin, pinagsasabay ang pagtatanim at ang pag-generate ng energy.

Nababawasan ang kumpetisyon sa lupa ng agrikultura at enerhiya. Kayang pagsabayin ang pagsulong ng food security at renewable energy. Patunay lang na kapag may malasakit, may paraan.

This project reminds us of the importance of working closely with the private sector. We thank Citicore, once again, for working with us to bring clean and reliable energy to every Filipino home. We also look forward to the realization of Citicore’s goal to add five gigawatts of clean energy in the next five years. And – [applause]

You made – you made a mistake of mentioning – mentioning the five gigawatts. Nabanggit mo na, wala na, wala nang atrasan ‘yan. Nandiyan si Secretary Sharon every – everytime magbubukas kayo.

Ayan, ina – ina – kinakalkula niya, aabutin ba talaga nila ‘yung five gigawatts o hindi.

Well, sinasabi niyo, this year, you will – almost one mega – one gigawatt. And it’ll be the first gigawatt solar project in the Philippines.

Wala pang – wala pang ganitong scale. At kung maipatuloy na nga, five gigawatts in the next five years.

Habang ang Citicore at iba pang mga investors ay patuloy na nagtatayo ng mga pasilidad na kagaya nito, gumagawa naman ang pamahalaan ng mga hakbang upang isulong at palawakin ang renewable energy ng ating bansa.

Sa pamamagitan ng Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop at green lanes, pinapabilis at pinapadali natin ang proseso para sa mga renewable energy projects.

Sa katunayan, ang ilang proyekto ng Citicore, tulad nito, ay dumaan sa green lanes, na makakapagbilis sa pagtutupad ng ganitong klaseng proyekto.

Kasabay nito, ang Department of Energy at iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan, ang NGCP ay patuloy na nagkakaisa upang matiyak na may sapat na transmission line at imprastraktura upang maihatid ang kuryente sa ating tahanan, paaralan, at mga negosyo.

So, be assured that the Department of Energy will continue to implement measures that drive investments in the sector and expedite the approval of renewable energy projects.

To our LGUs, I encourage you to strengthen your partnerships with investors so that more agro-solar projects can serve as models for both food and energy security.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Philippines is open to the future. We are open to business and innovation. Our arms are open to a future where clean energy is the norm.

Makakatiyak kayo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay patuloy na maghahanap ng mga paraan upang makabuo ng mas malinis na enerhiya na magbibigay ng liwanag sa ating Bagong Pilipinas. Isang maunlad na Bagong Pilipinas para sa kasalukuyan at sa mga hinaharap ng ating mga susunod na henerasyon.

Maraming, maraming salamat at mabuhay ang Citicore Solar Batangas!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!

Maraming, maraming salamat po. Magandang tanghali po sa inyo.

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