SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC O F T H E PH ILIPPIN ES )
Third R egular S ession )

SENATE
S.B. No. 2137

I n tr o d u c e d b y SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN

AN ACT
PROVIDING THE NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK FO R TH E USE OF ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES, AND
TH E ESTABLISHMENT O F ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS

EXPLANATORY NOTE

A c u rso ry survey of existing policy in s tru m e n ts governing th e c o u n try ’s energy

se cto r reveals tw in m a n d a te s th a t are c o n siste n t a c ro ss v a rio u s legislative
m e a su re s. F irst, th e m a n d a te for th e governm ent to red u ce th e c o u n try ’s
d ep en d en ce on im ported fuel th ro u g h th e prom otion of locally so u rc ed e n erg y .1
Second, th e directive for th e governm ent to utilize a n d prom ote
en v iro n m en tally clean a n d ecologically safe energy so u rc e s to a d d re s s th e
c o u n try ’s energy n e e d s.2

B ased on a 2 0 1 7 rep o rt p rep a red by th e D e p a rtm e n t of E nergy (DOE), the

c o u n try so u rc e s 55.3% of its energy n e ed s locally. The re s t of its energy
re q u ire m e n ts, a t 44.7% , is im ported from a b ro a d .3 B ulk of th e c o u n try ’s
im p o rted energy is u se d to a d d re ss th e energy re q u ire m e n ts of th e local
tra n s p o rta tio n se cto r a cc o u n tin g for 37.2% of th e to tal energy c o n su m p tio n of
th e co u n try . 4

The local tra n s p o rta tio n se cto r is highly d e p e n d e n t on foreign energy so u rces,
w ith th e c o u n try im porting a ro u n d 98% of its croide oil re q u ire m e n ts.5 T his in
tu r n m ak e s th e c o m m u tin g a n d driving public highly v u ln erab le to price

1 R epublic Act No. 7 1 5 6 , oth erw ise know n a s “M ini-H ydroelectric Power Incentive Act," d e c la re s a s policy of th e S tate to
e n h a n c e th e d evelopm ent of th e c o u n try 's in d ig en o u s re s o u rc e s to m inim ize d ep e n d e n c e o n o u tsid e so u rc e s of energy.
R epublic Act No. 7638, o therw ise know n a s th e “D e p a rtm e n t of E nergy Act of 1992,“ d e c la re s a s p a rt of th e S ta te ’s goal
to achieve self-reliance in th e c o u n try ’s energy re q u ire m e n ts. R epublic Act No. 9 1 3 6 , o th erw ise k now n a s th e “E lectric
Power In d u s try Reform Act o f 2 0 0 1 ,” d e c la re s a s S ta te policy th e u tilizatio n of in d ig e n o u s a n d renew able energy
re s o u rc e s in pow er g e n eratio n in o rd er to re d u c e d ep e n d e n c e on im p o rted energy. R epublic Act No. 9 3 6 7 , otherw ise
know n a s th e “B iofuels Act of 2 0 0 6 ,” a n d R epublic Act No. 9 5 1 3 , oth erw ise know n a s th e “R enew able Energy Act of
2 0 0 8 ,” declare a s p a rt of th e policy of S ta te th e re d u c tio n of th e c o u n try ’s d ep e n d e n c e o n im p o rted fuel, a n d th e
lessen in g of th e c o u n try ’s e x p o su re to price flu c tu a tio n s in in te rn a tio n a l m a rk e ts.
2 R epublic Act No. 8 4 7 9 , oth erw ise k now n a s th e “D ow nstream Oil In d u stry D eregulation Act of 1998,” d ecla res a s
S tate policy th e pro m o tio n of env iro n m en tally clean p etro leu m p ro d u c ts. R epublic Act No. 9 3 6 7 , oth erw ise know n a s
th e “B iofuels Act of 2 0 0 6 ,” d e c la re s a s S tate policy th e pro tectio n of e n v iro n m en t a n d p u b lic h e a lth . R epublic Act No.
9136, otherw ise know n a s th e “E lectric Power In d u s try Reform Act of 2 0 0 1 ,” d e c la re s a s S ta te policy th e a s s u ra n c e of
socially a n d en v iro n m en tally com p atib le energy so u rc e s a n d in fra stru c tu re .
3 Philippine Energy Plan 2 0 1 7 -2 0 4 0 .
4 Philippine Energy Pltm 2 0 1 7 -2 0 4 0 .
5 B ased on h ttp s://w w w .d o e .g o v .p h /d o w n stre a m -o il.