RENEWABLE ENERGY FORUM WELL-APPLAUDED;
ANGARA, COMSTE HOSTING EVENT

The first Renewable Energy and Agriculture Conference (REACT 2009) has commenced today at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, hosted by the Office of Sen. Adgardo J. Angara and the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE).

The event opened with the keynote speech of HE Choi Joong-Kyung, Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to the Philippines. Amb. Choi highlighted the importance of the use of renewable energy not only to attain progress for sustainable development, but as a moral obligation to alleviate societies from poverty using the country's existing resources. He stressed the importance of domestic initiatives at the legislative level to achieve reforms for RE.

Amb. Choi is highly optimistic of the benefits of renewable energy that countries like the Philippines can harness, saying, "Efforts in renewable energy should be a global initiative and be maximized. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a UN-body based in Vienna, Austria, has predicted that fossil fuel will account for 80% of the world's primary energy needs all the way to 2030. We have to initiate stable government policies to address this need."

Amb. Choi asserted that "the fruits of renewable energy should be complimented with the emphasis on conservation and efficiency of using its sources." He cited legislative reforms as key concern to provide for stable domestic governance and raise prospects for tapping various renewable energy sources in the country; to eventually attract foreign investors and stimulate domestic production and consumption for renewable energy and development.

USec. Fortunato dela Pena of the DOST also lauded the event as a significant venue to attract the main actors of the energy industry, both domestically and internationally, and hopes that the event will further pave the way for the Philippines to engage in international talks for a global success for sustainable renewable energy.

"The DOST and the Department of Energy are discussing the prospects of a permanent energy research institute to expedite the country's efforts to tap its resources and more deeply diversify our energy sources," USec. dela Pena said. Like Amb. Choi, he is also optimistic that the country may well be the leader among the Asian market in the development and use of renewable energies.

COMSTE Director Gregory Tangonan, in his keynote address, emphasized the strategies that are necessary for the agriculture sector, private enterprises and the government to engage in a collaboration to tap the country's agro-fisheries resources in the efforts for RE development. He stressed the importance of agriculture in this innovation that the Philippines can pioneer. He said, "This model of the Philippines will be replicated in Asia, and deploying this technology to our rural communities will give them better services for water management, farm produce and power generation. Our future generations will benefit from this green technology."

The diplomats and ambassadors present are HE Choi, HE Alcides Prates (Brazil), HE Senkeo Poungpadith (Laos), HE Ramon Rechebei (Palau), HE Alexander Lim (Singapore), HE Aleksey Roshakov and HE Sergey Sikov (Russia), HE Isabel Schmeidbauer (Austria), HE Paula Schindler (the Netherlands), HE Monique Leminbach and HE Marivic Vidaure (France). The conference is also graced by industry leaders of the private sector, government agencies on energy development, local government heads, experts and consultants, the media, international organizations and members of the academe.

Speaking in the engagement today are Sec. Estrella Alabastro (DOST), Sec. Angelo Reyes (Energy), Dr. Gregory Tangonan (COMSTE), Former Sec. Angel Alcala (DENR), Dr. Fernando Roxas (AIM), Ms. Alelie Funcell (RE Test Center), Mr. Neils Jacobsen (Northwind Power), Mr. Ramon Isberto (PLDT-Smart), President Ben Malayang (Silliman University), Mr. Paul Aquino (EDC), Mr. Luis Miguel Aboitiz (Aboitiz Group) and Fr. Dan McNamara, SJ (Ateneo de Davao).

The forum is the brainchild of Sen. Angara and the COMSTE, one of his many initiatives for renewable energy development and pursuit in the country after he authored the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 and the Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act.