(File photo)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday urged the Department of Energy (DOE) to inform concerned agencies about pending energy projects, in an effort to expedite the processing of permits.
In a sectoral meeting at Malacañan Palace in Manila, Marcos said announcing the DOE’s impending endorsement of energy projects would enable agencies involved in the issuance of permits and clearances to process the required documents ahead of the implementation phase.
“Well, you continue to work on the processing, the change in the processing… permitting process. So, we try to get as close as possible to the simultaneous processing,” Marcos told the DOE, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office in a news release.
“As we discussed earlier, we never get it in that straight line that you have. But at least we’ll push it as far as we can," he added.
Marcos met with the DOE to get an update on the streamlining of energy project applications.
During the meeting, DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the agency would consider Marcos’ proposal.
The government is addressing several issues faced by investors in the energy sector, particularly the numerous permits and clearances required by government agencies, as well as the long process to secure the needed documents.
Marcos directed the DOE to continue speeding up the integration of all applications and permitting processes for energy projects in the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS).
The government targets the integration of all energy-related processes by June 2028, the PCO said.
The EVOSS was rolled out in July 2020 to accept online energy-related applications.
The PCO noted that as of Sept. 27, at least 56 out of 103 energy-related processes have been integrated into the EVOSS.
“However, the full operationalization of the EVOSS System primarily depends on the readiness of the agencies and entities to be incorporated or integrated into the system,” it said.
The PCO said the DOE is conducting focus group discussions and consultations, orientations, briefings, and information education campaigns, and user testing and hands-on-training, to expedite the full operationalization of the EVOSS.
The DOE is also coordinating with the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) to address the issue.
The EVOSS system is a web-based filing and monitoring system for energy related applications and a repository of information and permits issued for energy projects.
The system allows all agencies and entities involved in the approval of new energy-related projects to comply with the mandated timeframes in a unified and streamlined paperless process.
In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in July, Marcos ordered the DOE to fast-track the integration of all applications and permitting processes for energy projects in EVOSS. (PNA)
