Press Release

8 March 2023

Surging inflation or not, the government’s P91 billion annual utilities and fuel bill should prompt President Marcos Jr. to relaunch a better version of his father’s 1970s “enercon campaign,” House Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto said.

And if President Marcos Jr. wants tips on how to implement a campaign of recent vintage, he can get them from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whose two orders in 2004 successfully pared down electricity use in government offices, Recto said.

“Dapat comprehensive. A national framework of which a four-day work-week, as proposed by the Finance secretary, is but one component,” Recto said. 

“Economics and environment” should be the driving force behind the campaign,” Recto said.

“For the people to support it, it should be framed as saving money and saving the Earth at the same time,” he said.

In 2019, before the pandemic “turned the lights off ” in public buildings, government – national, LGUs and GOCCs – paid P43.2 billion for power, water and gas.

On top of this is the P47.5 billion in “fuel, oil and lubricant” expenses it racked up that year.

“That’s about P90.7 billion in a year. Makatipid ka ng 10%, P9 billion na savings na, na pwedeng i-rechannel pambili ng gamot sa mga ospital,” Recto said.

“Kung walang pagtitipid, sisipa ‘yan ng mahigit P100 billion kada taon,” he said.

But Recto said the parameters of the enercon campaign should be properly defined by a Palace order in order not to harm essential services.

“You don’t cut back on police and military patrols. Pero ‘yung sistema na gas coupons na kahit pribado na sasakyan pwedeng makakuha, itigil na. Ambulance runs should be exempt. As to hospitals, walang bawas, kasi essential ‘yan,” he said.

“Paano naman ‘yung joke na magkakaroon ng thermostat police sa mga opisina? Pwede, kasi you don’t need Arctic temperature to work efficiently,” Recto said.

President Marcos should launch it now to familiarize office before summer sets in, when a rise in air-conditioner use, low water levels in hydroelectric dams, and distribution lines trip-offs caused by high heat index combine to trigger power outages.

“But the main price driver is that coal, which accounts for 58 % of generating capacity, is getting expensive, and this cascades down to higher meter charges,” Recto said.

“Year-on-year, halos 15% ang itinaas ng presyo ng electricity, gas at fuel,” he said.

When the global oil crunch hit the country in the 1970s, President Marcos Sr. launched an “enercon campaign” from the demand side, while building plants on the supply side, under a world-class energy team.

And when world oil prices soared during her watch, President Macapagal Arroyo responded with Administrative Order (A.O.) 103 which ordered government offices to reduce by 10% their cost of the consumption of fuel, electricity and other utilities.

It was followed by A.O. 110 which institutionalized a Government Energy Management Program.

“The records and aide memoires on these previous enercon campaigns are in the presidential library for President BBM to read,” Recto said.