MANILA, (PIA) — Senator Win Gatchalian called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to concentrate on developing energy generation projects as part of the implementation of the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system.
“Let us focus first on generation projects because sufficient electricity supply is important. We need to perfect that first before expanding into the other sectors,” Gatchalian said.
His remarks came during a recent Senate hearing on the proposed 2025 budget for the department and its attached agencies, and emphasized that while the goal of EVOSS is to streamline application processing, the system’s complexity increases as it expands.
As vice-chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Gatchalian noted that since 2019, a total of 263 million pesos has been allocated for EVOSS, with an additional 36 million pesos requested for the upcoming budget year.
“We have allocated a sizable amount already for EVOSS over the years, and we need to see its full potential being realized,” he said, highlighting the importance of ensuring that funds do not go to waste.
Once fully implemented, the EVOSS system is expected to reduce processing times for energy project applications by approximately 269 days, bringing the average processing time down to around 85 days, depending on the project’s location and type.
However, several agencies, including the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, have yet to fully integrate their processes into the system.
Established under Republic Act 11234 in March 2019, the EVOSS system aims to streamline the permitting process for energy projects across the Philippines.
It applies to all new power generation, transmission, or distribution projects and integrates permits required by various government agencies and local government units.
By optimizing processes within the energy sector, EVOSS aims to speed up project approvals, enhance competition, improve transparency, and increase overall efficiency.
Gatchalian pointed out that the President’s recent directive for the DOE to expedite the integration of applications and permitting processes through EVOSS should encourage all relevant agencies to participate actively.
“That sends a signal to other departments to take energy projects seriously and join the system, as that is the design of EVOSS,” he added. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
