RP, US forge pact on energy, environment

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and the United States forged yesterday an agreement that would expand environment and energy programs with the country receiving $73 million in grants over a six-year period.

President Arroyo and US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney witnessed the signing of the Assistance Agreement for Energy and Environment Program at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto and US Agency for International Development (USAID) Director Jon Lindborg signed the agreement.

Officials from both sides said the agreement showed the confidence of the US in the Philippines despite the ongoing corruption issues affecting the Arroyo administration.

Kenney described the Philippines as “an environment superpower, a country blessed with natural resources.”

She said the agreement marked the two countries’ “continuing partnership” and “continuing commitment to the future of our planet.”

“We shall be able to strengthen the management of our natural resources down to the local level through ways and methods that are appropriate, effective and innovative,” Recto said. “Through the creation of community-based projects, we will be able to create more jobs that would benefit the real economy.”

Through the partnership, “we shall be able to support the efforts of central and local government agencies to manage these resources in a sustainable manner, as well as support the development of clean and renewable energy sources, promote access to clean water and sanitation and help to mitigate and adapt to climate change,” he said.

He said among the new projects that would be rolled out this year are a new clean and renewable energy contract, a new rural electrification grant, and two new biodiversity grants.

Under the agreement, USAID will support efforts “to conserve biodiversity and sustainability, manage natural resources; mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change; and improve access to water and sanitation services,” a statement from the US Embassy said.

The agreement will be implemented in partnership with the National Economic and Development Authority, the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Energy, Finance, and the Energy Regulatory Commission.

Recto cited the move of President Arroyo to name herself the country’s environment czar to ensure faster and more effective public action to protect the country’s natural resources.

“The result of decades of neglect and corruption will not be easily resolved. In fact, there is still so much to be done. Through this partnership, however, we can dare to achieve what the Principle of Seven Generations states, that the impact of our decisions today will redound to the benefit of our children and their children’s children,” he said.

Kenney noted the two countries have been “working together for so many years on ways to make our country safe and more prosperous, although the most important things we do for the future is to make sure that we safeguard the great natural resources, the great environment we’ve been given.”

“As President (Barack) Obama has recently said, we must take the challenge for a prosperous and more sustainable planet, the future and a commitment that our people share. We have only one planet and we have an extraordinary responsibility to protect it,” she said.

She pointed out that previous US projects in the country “brought light to many communities using renewable energy.”

“We’ve seen fishermen train to teach people how to fish sustainably, support their families while protecting future fish generations. We’ve seen protection of watersheds, we’ve seen marketplaces learn how to dispose of their waste water, and now we go forward and do even more, look for cleaner sources of energy, try to bring clean energy to rural communities so they have not only electricity but good environmental practice,” Kenney said.

The US is currently the largest bilateral grant donor of the Philippines for environment and energy programs, a Palace statement said.