SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA
Co-Sponsorship Speech
Confirmation of Appointment of
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi

Mr. President,

Our source of light in our homes has gone through many evolutions from the centuries-old oil lamps to various electric lighting, such as incandescent, fluorescent, and now LED lamps. But there are communities in the country, especially in far-flung sitios that continue to live in the dark, getting light from a candle or the old-fashioned oil lamps once the sun goes down.

The electrification of the entire country is just one of several other issues in the energy sector that the government has been trying to address. We need power supply that is accessible, reliable, affordable and clean.

Moreover, in this era of natural hazards made stronger by climate change, the energy infrastructure system receives the brunt of disaster impacts and this results in disruptions in businesses and in the delivery of services. It is a must that we climate-proof the energy sector.

Mr. President,

I believe that President Rodrigo Duterte's appointed Secretary of Energy, the Honorable Alfonso Cusi, who is before the Committee today, will be able to make a difference in managing the energy sector. He is the best man for the job, being a good administrator. I am confident that he can bring accessible, reliable and affordable power to all our communities so that no sitio, no barrio, no barangay will live in the "dark" age.

Mr. President, it is for these reasons that I move for the confirmation of the ad interim appointment of Alfonso G. Cusi as Secretary of the Department of Energy.

Thank you.