my coverage: Department of Energy calls for support to their Brightnow Campaign to save fuel and money

I met our Department of Energy ( DOE) Sec. Jose Rene D. Almendras and U.Sec. Jay Layug yesterday and it was an interesting talk and discussion about the on going rise of oil price, the global crisis, and how the DOE's work head to head with different people and the launch of their "Bright Now" campaign for energy efficiency for Filipinos, how do we save gas ? the electric vehicles the answer to save energy and money? is it eco friendly?

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DOE Sec. Jose Rene D. Almendras is now on the big topic today, DOE and his name are on the titles of every news wire and that's all about the ongoing rise of oil price. I told him what's the causes of these price hike and he just mentioned that the oil price here in our country are affected due to the global crisis that is happening today. I'm very concerned already on this matter, even that I don't own a car, but the life of commuting everyday with a big expense of money are affecting me already as toll fee and transport fares are already increasing. My amount for my travel budget in Manila are starting to be much more difficult compare from the past years. P100 can let me survive for a week of in and going out of the house going to the next city, but today, P500 is my minimum budget whenever I go out of the city and most of my cash goes to all travel expense. By the way, I live in Cavite today and its a different story for me and my nature of work why I need that budget.

First to meet and talk to is with Sec. Almendras, he shared some stories and experiences he encountered that is related to his work at DOE. At first, he gave an intro about eco sustainability and how other countries act together to conserve energy and be eco friendly. Then he told us that in the country of Israel, they revealed that in year 2020 there will no combustion cars and the country will have electric vehicles only, China shares their target for year 2018 that their four cities will have electric transport vehicles, for Australia you can now travel all around their cities using electric cars and trains, While on Canada they are still studying and now organizing some programs on what will be their future to save energy. But what about here in the Philippines... that leaves me a big question mark.

Sec. Almendras said that we should be prepared, because Philippines is on the list of having a high rate in pollution and we need to do more on eco sustainability, they are now studying and acting about those generators that we use that leaves carbon foot print that can go beyond on the next generation. We know that the challenge today is about the oil price, and we are not totally prepared and we are caught blindly. He stated last September 2010 about his view that there's a 75 years left for eco life for fuel and we should start checking on this case because it is a serious matter and acting today will save the coming future. Sec. Almendras said that this study and preparedness should have been done 10 years ago by DOE, and now they advice that we should shift and have a lifestyle change to increase greater efficiency.

The Brightnow Campaign
As of yesterday, they launched their "Brightnow Campaign" its a campaign for awareness of saving gas, money, time and also a call for everyone to be a responsible citizen and have control of excessive use of gas. The Brightnow Campaign is to let everyone know that carpooling can save more gas and money, riding the bicycle can be helpful for the environment, and proper way of handling our vehicles can help us be energy efficient. A same campaign is happening also to other countries and it is very effective just like in Europe, taxi drivers won't let you ride in if your destination is nearby, "that building you are going to is on the next 2 block, you can save the Earth by walking there" Sec. Almendras shares this as the taxi driver told him when he was there in Europe. And when he also attended that energy conference in another country, all guests were asked to use bicycles going to their hotels, because the mode of their transportation there are bicycles. The Brightnow Campaign is just a start that can help us conserve energy, be eco friendly and also invent a new mode of lifestyle that can help the next generation.

The rise of Electric Vehicles in the Philippines
The electric vehicles are also recommended by the DOE, because the expense is much cheaper than using diesel, they are now proposing lots of ideas and that car registration will be different between a 6 cylinder car and a 4 cylinder car. They are acting with different local government office that they should give reward to people who supported the BrightNow campaign. In Mandaluyong City they are now on the move to convert all fuel powered tricycle into electric tricycle. The new electric tricycle is an 8 seater trike similar that runs in Global City. The battery and the engine for electric tricycles are locally made.

LPG Jeepneys and bus
A program and seminar for jeepney drivers will be launch soon and its about converting their diesel engine to LPG engine. Bus franchising will discontinue for all who uses surplus bus, but the new registration will open only if the bus runs on natural gas. As of today, 7 bus transport agreed to convert their bus engine to natural gas, after that there will be 60 bus available running with clean smoke in Metro Manila.

Incentives for BrightNow supporters will be given like
- priority parking in malls for e-cars
- e-cars are exempted in color coding
- special lanes for low emission cars and car poolers

Alternative Fuel Road Map
During the discussion, U.Sec. Layug appeared and I asked him about what's the result on their proposal for oil companies to stock up oil that is good for 15-30 days period, so that we can avoid price increase if ever there will be another global crisis. He answered that they have now a positive response from oil companies and the oil companies already spoke to their respective oil suppliers, and said that we should not fear anything because they have sufficient supplies.

Saudi Arabia already increased their production already to meet the cut in the Libya production, but still the issues are still different about the supply and the price. It is a struggle not only here but also globally. DOE continues to monitor these oil companies for price abuses and always check it with their calculators and formula whenever they have price increase. DOE expected last Monday that the oil price was P2.00 increase, but they appealed to cut it to P1.00 and increase slowly, but still they are having problems in controlling them since they are deregulated, but they are glad that listened to the appeal.

For alternative solutions that they mentioned, they have the Alternative Fuel Road Map for the Philippines. Unfortunately, this road map should have been done 10 years ago and today having a new government, DOE looked on the alternative and found no answer for that alternative that we should rely not only on diesel, but also in electric, natural gas and solar energy, then have electric vehicles, LPG and other possible energy saving system.

Next two weeks they will have a sign MOA for the jeepneys to use LPG, it will be on a smaller scale since budget and funding is still an issue and this will take slowly on implementing the alternative fuel plans. LPG comes from fossil fuel and according to study that it is much more cleaner than diesel after combusting CNG or combusted natural gas, a much more cleaner air.

This is just a start of DOE and the BrightNow Campaign, what we should do now is observe and follow their advice. Every thing that has a tag price will increase in the next few months and we should do something early so that we are not badly affected of these price crisis. So we should start bright now!!! do right..and be right!

And at the end of our meeting Sec. Almendras shared this quote from Gandalf of the Lord of Rings

"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule"

5 Fuel Saving Measures

1. Do carpooling with friends and family going to work or school. You can also commute as this is the most cheapest way of traveling.

2. Always check for the right tire pressure of each vehicles. You can save 5%-10% of gas consumption everyday.

3. Travel moderately, or try clustering your destination that are near to have more convenient use of your vehicle and save more time and gas.

4. Avoid your car idling with the engine running, 2 liters of gas are being consumed. Switch off your car's engine after idling for 3 minutes.

5. Avoid speeding up after starting the engine. If the car accelerate slowly, 1 kilometer will be added in each liter of gas consumed

We should always remember that there are some things that we can control.