DENR chief meets with US council on climate change

MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has met with officials of the United States Council on Environmental Quality to explore possible areas of cooperation between the Philippines and the US on climate change.

Yulo-Loyzaga was part of the official delegation of President Marcos during his official visit to Washington.

She also met with professors of George Mason University in Virginia as part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ continuous consultation with international experts.

According to Yulo-Loyzaga, the DENR has been reframing its plans, programs and policies based on data-driven science and systems approaches.

Yulo-Loyzaga joined Marcos in several bilateral meetings aimed to expand the two countries’ cooperation on several key areas, including environmental protection and climate action.

She was present during Marcos’ meeting with Maxeon Solar Technologies, a global leader in solar technology and innovation, which operates in the country under the name of Sunpower Philippines Manufacturing Ltd. Maxeon Solar plans to expand its operations in the country and invest $900 million for solar energy innovations.

Bill Mulligan, CEO of Maxeon which operates in all global markets including the Maxeon brand in the United States, Canada and Japan, said the investment will provide more than 3,000 jobs in the next years.

Mulligan said they are starting the expansion of their research and development facility in Cavite, providing around 2,000 engineering jobs in the area.

Maxeon, which also has major manufacturing facilities in Malaysia and Mexico, has been operating in the Philippines since 2003. It opened its first factory at the Laguna Technopark in Biñan City in 2004, and now has seven projects in Biñan consisting of manufacturing, IT and logistics.

Maxeon has trained a skilled local workforce of managers and solar engineers in the Philippines numbering more than 1,000.

The Marcos administration has continued to pursue measures and policies to ensure the availability of cheap and reliable energy through the promotion and utilization of renewable energy sources.

Yulo-Loyzaga said the DENR welcomes efforts and innovations from experts in the field of clean energy.

She vowed that the DENR and the Department of Energy would continue to work together to tap available support for the country’s clean energy, climate and development goals.

At the same time, Yulo-Loyzaga underscored the importance of accessible and affordable energy, the availability of feasible alternative technologies for the country to achieve a net-zero emission future, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 which calls for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030.