The Senate Committee on Energy is poised to endorse to Congress the passage of a legislation creating the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) in a bid to “fulfill energy security and sustainability.”
In filing Senate Bill 172, Senate Committee on Energy Chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian cited the urgent need for a “world-class and independent energy research and policy institute to address research and policy gaps” in the energy sector to carry out reforms directly benefiting consumers.
Stressing the need for early enactment of the remedial legislation, the senator explained the “fundamental logic why we are pushing this bill is really to come up with an independent research institute that will be, I describe it as a sparring partner for the government so that it can complement or at least provide check and balance in policies and the end goal, someday, becoming energy independent for our constituents.”
Gatchalian’s SB 172 mandates the establishment of the PERPI at the University of the Philippines and will be composed of scholars and energy sector professionals.
It will be tasked to conduct multidisciplinary energy research, incubate and develop cutting-edge technologies, and serve as the sparring partner for the government in the energy policy-making process.
The bill provides that the UP president will have the authority to appoint the executive director based on the recommendation of the advisory council. The bill appropriates P200 million for the initial funding of the think tank.
Gatchalian noted that the country can copy the US and Singapore experiences, where the majority of their energy research institutes are under reputable universities, such as Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania and the National University of Singapore.
At a Senate hearing on the bill, UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Maria Cynthia Bautista told the committee that the state university has a pool of experts that can provide their expertise in providing and crafting independent research policies.
“UP is a public-service institution. Its mandate is not just a research or graduate university—it’s also a public service university. As a national university, we have to serve our country. That is the kind of service we can offer,” Bautista said.