DOE excludes LNG from GEA 4th round; TOR out soon By Lenie Lectura
T WORLD » A10
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HE Department of Energy (DOE) has decided to exclude liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the fourth round of the Green Energy Auction (GEA4), a top official of the agency said. “There are enough LNG power plants in the system for the time horizon of GEA-4, so there is no need to include in the auction,” DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said via Viber on Thursday. The DOE announced last year that it was considering LNG technologies for the upcoming GEA-4. On Thursday, however, the agency said GEA-4 will include the Integrated Renewable Energy and En-
ergy Storage System (IRESS). In particular, IRESS shall only cover solar power plants integrated with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). “The DOE will release the GEA4 Terms of Reference [TOR] within February,” the agency said in a statement. The TOR will outline specific provisions and procedures for the auction process, covering technical, financial, and commercial aspects. It will also incorporate insights and lessons learned from previous auction rounds. Each auction round’s TOR includes key GEA instruments such as the auction design, bonds, instructions to bidders, bidding data, forms and templates, and
post-auction requirements. To ensure stakeholder participation, the DOE will conduct a dialogue on the draft GEA-4 TOR to gather feedback from relevant parties. The draft Notice of Auction, TOR, and the schedule for the stakeholder dialogue will be announced soon. The GEA is a key initiative in the government’s strategy to expand renewable energy (RE) capacity and achieve a 35-percent share of renewables in the national energy mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. It provides energy developers with opportunities to secure contracts that support the growth of the country’s sustainable energy production. In relation to GEA-4, the Energy
Regulatory Commission (ERC) has convened industry stakeholders to discuss the concerns on GEA Reserve (GEAR) price. It is the mandate of the ERC to determine the GEAR prices, or the maximum price offers for the GEA, prior to the auction. In a separate statement, the ERC said it held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) last February 3 to assess parameters and cost assumptions for RE technologies. The FGD served to validate, refine, and enhance data accuracy in setting GEAR prices for various technologies. “The ERC commits to support the auction consistent with our mandates under EPIRA and the See “DOE,” A2
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Friday, February 7, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 118
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MORE PINOYS LOOKING FOR BETTER JOBS SEEN F
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By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario
ILIPINOS looking for better jobs could increase this year given uncertainties caused by domestic and international developments such as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and US President Trump’s policies, according to economists. On Thursday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that there were 1.94 million jobless Filipinos and 5.8 million underemployed in 2024. This led to the lowest unemployment and underemployment rates at 3.8 percent and 11.9 percent, respectively, since 2005. (See: https://businessmirror.com. ph/2025/02/06/jobless-rate-improves-in-2024/). Despite this, full-year data also showed that invisible underemployment increased to 2.5 million in 2024 from 2.2 million in 2023. Invisible underemployment refers to employed Filipinos looking for additional hours of work to augment their incomes. “With the turmoil, it is expected to scare investors. Once they [investors] leave, we will experience unemployment. High unemployment will force people to be underemployed versus unemployed [because] if there is little employment opportunities [and] people are desperate, they would take on See “Pinoys,” A2
LANE CHANGE AHEAD The government is considering the removal of Edsa bus lanes, as revealed by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes at a Palace press briefing. Artes said the issue was raised in a meeting where they discussed with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the Comprehensive Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. In the photo, buses are seen waiting for passengers at the Bus Carousel in Nepa Q-Mart Station on Thursday, February 6, 2025. NONOY LACZA
PHL FACES $1.22-B LOSS FROM WIDER TARIFFS APPLICATION By Andrea E. San Juan
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@andreasanjuan
HE Philippines could lose at least $1.22 billion in export revenues across the sectors of mechanical and electrical machinery, equipment and parts, coconuts, crustaceans to the United States, its largest export destination, due to the anticipated broader application of tariffs under the second regime of US President Donald Trump, according to a study by the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD). The $1.22-billion anticipated loss in export revenues in the study represents 10 percent of the $12.12-billion Philippine
exports to the US in 2024. “The majority of Philippine export products anticipated to have negative net trade effects due to the US tariffs are manufactured goods. Notably, eight out of the ten of these sectors fall within the category of mechanical and electrical machinery, equipment, and parts, while the remaining two products are classified as primary commodities,” the CPBRD study noted. The study explained that a “common feature” of these products is that they currently benefit from minimal to zero US tariffs, making them “vulnerable” to the imposition of higher duties. The “most significant” decline in See “PHL,” A14
Impeachment won’t impact economy for now–Marcos By Samuel P. Medenilla
A
@sam_medenilla
LTHOUGH he earlier worried that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte can stall key legislative reforms badly needed by the economy, President Ferdinand Marcos said he does not see the process initiated by the House of Representatives to affect the economy for now. In a press conference in Malacañang on Thursday, the chief executive said Wednesday’s development—when the House submitted to the Senate an impeachment complaint bearing 215 signatures—will not deter the entry of foreign investments in the country. “I doubt it very much. There will probably be no such effect. As long as we continue with our plan and strategy about investment and structural changes, which I usually discuss,” he said.
NOTICE OF FILING OF APPLICATION/S FOR ALIEN EMPLOYMENT PERMIT/S (AEP/S)
“Those are what investors look for. So I don’t think it [impeachment complaint] will have any effect,” he added.
Notice is hereby given that the following companies/Employers have filed with this Regional Office application/s for Alien Employment Permit/s:
Senate plan
AS to the possible impact of the impeachment on the completion of the legislative priorities of Congress, Marcos said it will depend on how the Senate will go about it. “It depends on how the Senate chooses to handle it. The plan of the Senate President and how the senators will implement [the impeachment] is not yet clear. If they will immediately convene, if they will still study the rules, if they are going to wait until the next session,” Marcos said. Last Wednesday, the House impeached Vice President Duterte after 215 of its members agreed she should be held accountable for culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of See “Impeachment,” A2
ESTABLISHMENT / ADDRESS No.
NAME OF FOREIGN NATIONAL , POSITION AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION
QUALIFICATION AND SALARY RANGE
AMG COLLECTIONS SERVICES INC. Unit 1001 530 Shaw Blvd., Summit One Office Tower, Highway Hills, City Of Mandaluyong LINKLATER, SCOTT MICHAEL JOSEPH Operational Director 1.
Brief Job Description: Responsible for establishing the quantitative and qualitative metrics, guidelines, and standards by which the company’s efficiency and effectiveness can be evaluate and for identifying opportunities for improvement.
Basic Qualification: College graduate, with previous work experience in a similar role and with excellent technical and communication skills. Salary Range: Php 150,000 - Php 499,999
See “dole ncr” on A6-A7
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 58.0710 n JAPAN 0.3805 n UK 72.6294 n HK 7.4580 n CHINA 7.9856 n SINGAPORE 43.0634 n AUSTRALIA 36.4976 n EU 60.4113 n KOREA 0.0402 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.4831 Source: BSP (February 6, 2025)