BBM’s push for nuclear, renewable energy hailed

President Marcos was hailed by his allies in Congress yesterday for putting before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Thailand the initiatives that would benefit the Philippines, like nuclear and renewable energy ventures.

Representatives Joey Salceda of Albay and LRay Villafuerte of Camarines Sur said Marcos did well as he pitched for a nuclear energy partnership with France to reduce high costs of electricity in the Philippines. He also pushed for the use of renewable energy (RE) in the country.

“PBBM made significant strides in concretizing our old friendships with countries like France. I am particularly excited about the talks he initiated on nuclear energy, as part of a broader effort towards shifting our energy mix away from coal,” Salceda said.

The chairman of the House committee on ways and means also lauded the President’s voice on the Philippines’ “moral ascendancy in ecological matters” that “drove the declaration towards a more green and circular economy, through the Bangkok Goals set during the summit.”

Villafuerte was glad that Marcos brought up the use of RE, which is at the “top of government’s climate agenda.”

“We will increase our use of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal power, solar and wind,” he quoted Marcos as saying.

“President Marcos’ resolute advocacy of urgent climate action on the international stage – from New York to Bangkok – has cast our Chief Executive, whether he likes or not, as the champion or point person of high-risk developing economies like the Philippines,” he said.

Villafuerte also congratulated Marcos for “pushing strongly for collective action from APEC’s 21 member states on dealing with three urgent measures to hasten global recovery from COVID-19, and one of these is climate change.”

Salceda also lauded the Chief Executive’s meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is also the prime minister of Saudi Arabia, for arriving at a handsome solution to a thorny issue between the two countries.

In that meeting, Riyadh set aside SR2 billion (about P30.5 billion) for the compensation of some 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) left unpaid when their Saudi firms went bankrupt in 2015 and 2016.

“This is possibly the biggest migrant compensation deal any President of the country ever achieved. That also strengthens our continued partnership, and promises even more opportunities for Filipino migrant workers. So, that’s a slam dunk,” said Salceda. “As a country that both suffers from climate change and imports around a third of its food supply, it is in our best interest to pursue global cooperation on these issues,” he said.

“Overall, it was consistent with the general tone of this administration: not too flashy but deliberate; not too theatrical, but delivers concrete accomplishments. This government shoots and scores,” he added.