ACTIVITIES

Moderator:  

D.Engr. Nelson Enano, Jr.

Coordinator, Mindanao Renewable Energy Center                       

Director, Ateneo de Davao University-Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technologies

Speakers:

  Dr. Fernando Martin Y. Roxas

President, National Power Corporation

Ms. Sharon O. Montañer

Director, Market Operations Service

Energy Regulatory Commission

Ms. Maria Luwalhati Dorotan-Tiuseco

Undersecretary

Department of Finance

Mr. Francis dela Cruz

Advocacy and Partnerships Adviser

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities/ CentRE

Mr. Ping Mendoza

President & Board Member,  Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA)

Mr. Matthew Carpio

Transaction Advisory Head

Climate Smart Ventures

Ms. Georgina “Ghette” Pascua

Greener Business Area Project

International Labour Organization

  Moderator:  D.Engr. Nelson Enano, Jr.

Speakers:

  Dr. Fernando Martin Y. Roxas

President, National Power Corporation

Ms. Sharon O. Montañer

Director, Market Operations Service

Energy Regulatory Commission

Ms. Maria Luwalhati Dorotan-Tiuseco

Undersecretary

Department of Finance

Mr. Francis dela Cruz

Advocacy and Partnerships Adviser

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities/ CentRE

Mr. Ping Mendoza

President & Board Member,  Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA)

Mr. Matthew Carpio

Transaction Advisory Head

Climate Smart Ventures

Ms. Georgina “Ghette” Pascua

Greener Business Area Project

International Labour Organization

Atty. Marissa Cerezo                                            Director, Renewable Energy Management Bureau     Department of Energy

Mr. Ludwig Federigan                            

Department of Environment and Natural Resources 

Mr. Bernard Paul Mangulabnan                              OIC Chief Labor and Employment Officer

Institute for Labor Studies - Department of Labor and Employment

Ms. Jai Josol                                                  Climate Change Officer, Climate Change and Sustainable Department, Asian Development Bank

Mr.Bency Ellorin

ICSC Mindanao

Ms. Jo Ann Eala

Vice President, Bank of the Philippine Islands

Co-hosted by: Climate Smart Ventures

Speakers:

Engr. Silver Navarro

Mr. Erel Narida, One Renewable Energy Enterprise, Inc.

Engr. Maria Imelda E. Pabros, Pag-Ibig Fund

Mr. Ivan Limjuco, Allotrope Partners 

Innovating for Sustainability: New Approaches to Renewable Energy (RE) Project Development and Financing

The deep dive session, co-hosted with Climate Smart Ventures, was held in the main conference hall and was attended by around 80 or more participants. The event began with presentations from three expert speakers, followed by a moderated panel discussion that incorporated live audience polling to foster interactive engagement.

Mr. Ivan Limjuco, the Philippines Program Manager for Allotrope Partners, opened the session by introducing their organization as an internationally focused clean energy advisory firm specializing in emerging markets and technologies. Allotrope provides strategic advisory services to commercial and industrial companies, banks, utilities, and other stakeholders to drive the adoption of clean energy solutions. He highlighted their key initiative, “Greening the Banks,” a public-private collaboration that empowers Southeast Asian financial institutions to actively participate in green financing. This initiative aims to scale renewable energy investments while reducing capital flows to fossil fuels. Ivan also discussed Allotrope's blended finance initiatives, which enable local utilities and electric cooperatives (ECs) in the Philippines to invest in, own, and benefit from renewable energy projects.

Engr. Maria Imelda Pabros, Manager of the Property Valuation Department at PAG-IBIG Fund, followed with a presentation on the institution’s support for green initiatives in the housing sector. She discussed how PAG-IBIG incentivizes housing developers that incorporate sustainable features such as energy efficiency, water management, solid waste management, and site sustainability. She also highlighted the availability of home improvement loans for individual members to finance solar panel installations. Engr. Pabros showcased successful green housing projects and emphasized the importance of institutional policies that ensure energy benefits are directly enjoyed by homeowners, rather than being used for external energy export.

The final speaker, Engr. Silver Navarro, presented on financing programs offered by commercial banks and community-based renewable energy initiatives. He showcased the sustainable development finance programs of BPI, which provide technical assistance, regulatory compliance support, and connections to reliable technology providers. Engr. Navarro also shared a case study of the Bago Integrated Solar Farmers Association (BISFA), a project supported and funded by the European Union-Supported Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) and Team Energy Foundation Inc. (TEFI) in collaboration with the DOE, LGUs, and local utilities. This project empowered a pineapple farming community to use solar-powered equipment to create fibers for clothing and other materials, thereby generating sustainable livelihoods. Engr. Navarro further discussed the factors influencing banks’ financing decisions, including technology reliability, policy, market offtakers, social acceptability, and environmental impacts. He provided practical advice on how renewable energy developers can enhance the bankability of their projects from the development stage onward.

During the panel discussion, the speakers expanded on key challenges in securing renewable energy financing. Engr. Pabros highlighted the importance of collateral eligibility, the cost-benefit analysis of renewable energy technologies compared to traditional sources, and ensuring alignment with institutional policies. She emphasized that energy yield from solar installations in housing developments should directly benefit homeowners. Engr. Navarro reiterated that financing renewable energy projects involves navigating a complex mix of technical, business, environmental, and regulatory factors. Mr. Limjuco added that electric cooperatives often face challenges because their projects are typically too small to attract investors. He suggested that aggregation or forming partnerships with developers with successful track records could help scale these projects and improve their bankability.

Audience participation through live polling added an interactive dimension to the discussion. When asked about preferred funding sources for renewable energy projects, most respondents indicated a preference for government financing institutions. The session concluded with the speakers reiterating the support their respective institutions can provide to stakeholders, emphasizing their commitment to facilitating innovative and sustainable renewable energy solutions.

Trainer:  Engr. Rei Panaligan and team from the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST)

Learn the basics about Solar PV technology, installation, and requirements in adopting renewable energy through solar power. Know how to become a prosumer.                              "With great power comes great responsibility." Learn the importance of adopting energy efficiency measures as we adopt more energy.

“Modern Energy Minimum as a Framework and Advocacy Tool”

Ms. Maitet Diokno 

Center for Power Issues and Initiatives

Programme

Highlights:

The deep dive session on "Investing in Women as Partners in Just Energy Transition" brought together 25 women from diverse backgrounds to explore the vital role of gender equality in driving a sustainable and inclusive energy transition. The session emphasized the need to recognize women as key stakeholders and partners in this process to ensure that energy systems benefit all members of society.

The lecture, delivered by Ms. Maitet Diokno of the CPII, focused on the concept of the "Modern Energy Minimum" and its gender perspectives. The "Modern Energy Minimum" is defined as the essential energy services required for basic human development, with a target of 1,000 kWh of energy consumption per person per year. This threshold ensures access to critical services such as lighting, heating, communication, and clean cooking. In addition, this is higher compared to the UN SDG 7. Ms. Diokno explained how energy access at or above this level is a fundamental enabler of health, education, economic opportunities, and overall well-being.

A key part of her lecture was addressing the gendered dimensions of energy access. Women, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, are disproportionately affected by energy poverty. They often bear the responsibility for securing energy for cooking, lighting, and household chores, which limits their time and opportunities for economic participation and personal development. Ms. Diokno stressed the importance of designing energy systems that consider women’s specific needs, ensuring that energy policies and initiatives are inclusive and contribute to women's empowerment.

The session concluded with a collective commitment to continue the conversation on gender and energy, with a focus on striving for more than just the "bare minimum" of energy access. Participants emphasized the importance of working towards an energy transition that transforms the lives of women, improves their opportunities, and ensures a better quality of life for future generations. The conversation reinforced the idea that the path forward involves empowering women to be leaders, decision-makers, and active contributors to the energy transition, driving solutions that benefit society as a whole.

Lead Discussant

Dr. Nelson Enano, Jr.

Coordinator, Ateneo de Davao University-Center for Renewable Energy and   

Sustainable Technologies                                Director, Mindanao REnewable Energy Center 

Highlights

In the session "Circular Economy and Recycling Strategies for Sustainable Renewable Energy System," the participants, mainly from electric cooperatives, renewable energy companies, NGOs, social impact investors, and local government units, learned about a more sustainable approach in the renewable energy sector.

Dr. Nelson Enano Jr., the main discussant, presented the environmental and economic challenges linked to the traditional "linear" system of consumption, which has roots in the industrial revolution. In this system, products are made, used, and discarded, leading to increased demand for raw materials and excessive waste. Dr. Enano emphasized that we are consuming renewable resources at an unsustainable rate—50% faster than they can be replaced—and that current extraction rates are causing severe depletion of natural resources.

Dr. Enano discussed the "Circular" economy model as a solution. This approach aims to close the loop on production and consumption by recycling materials from used photovoltaic (PV) panels into the production of new panels. The core principle of this system is "Extract, Reuse, Repair," or "Share, Recycle, Remanufacture, Repair." It focuses on reducing the extraction of new resources, lowering material costs, and promoting social benefits such as job creation and innovation. This model advocates for the design of PV panels with recyclability in mind, ensuring that they can be used in multiple cycles of production.

The circular economy has three key principles:

1. Design for recyclability: PV panels should be durable, reusable, and designed to be disassembled easily to separate valuable materials like silicon, silver, glass, and vinyl acetate.

2. Constant use of products and materials: Companies can introduce trade-in programs to incentivize customers to return old panels for recycling, shifting the concept of electricity from a product to a service.

3. Regeneration of natural systems: By reducing the need for new materials, the circular model helps to regenerate ecosystems and reduce overall environmental impact.

Dr. Enano also suggested that a leasing model for PV panels could promote the circular economy by lowering upfront costs for consumers while ensuring companies maintain a steady revenue stream. In this model, companies would install, maintain, and repair the panels, making them more accessible and encouraging customer retention.

However, the implementation of a circular system faces several barriers:

• Lack of legislative frameworks to support recycling initiatives.

• Low profitability and lack of incentives for recycling PV panels.

• Limited public awareness of the benefits of a circular economy.

• Higher recycling costs compared to landfilling.

• Energy-intensive recycling processes.

• Behavioral and cultural barriers to adopting circular practices.

Dr. Enano pointed out that some countries, like Singapore, have systems that are better equipped to handle the circular economy, whereas the Philippines faces significant challenges due to existing societal and infrastructure limitations.

Several questions arose during the session:

1. Alternatives to toxic lithium-ion batteries: Dr. Enano mentioned that while alternatives are being developed, they are not yet commercially viable.

2. Technical know-how for PV panel recycling: While some countries have the capability to recycle PV panel components, the Philippines lacks the local technical expertise.

3. Recyclability and quality of reused materials: Dr. Enano stressed the importance of testing and certification to ensure that recycled materials meet quality standards.

4. Other challenges: Beyond the high costs, Dr. Enano reiterated the barriers of legislative support and public awareness as critical hurdles to the adoption of a circular economy for PV panels.

In conclusion, while the circular economy offers a promising path for renewable energy sustainability, overcoming the barriers to its implementation will require concerted efforts across various sectors.

Read background material and program flow 

Philippines Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) is a leading voice in the promotion and development of solar energy and storage solutions in the Philippines.

Established in 2010, PSSEA is a non-profit organization that brings together key stakeholders in the solar industry. Our members include panel manufacturers, project developers, contractors, funders, rooftop installers, and offtakers, all working together to advance the adoption of solar energy and storage solutions in the Philippines. PSSEA is at the forefront of policy development and rulemaking on renewables as a dialogue partner of the Government in promoting sustainable economic development.

Ping Mendoza is President and board member of the industry association Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA), Senior Advisor at Climate Smart Ventures, Philippines Country Manager of utility scale developer Gurin Energy and co-founder of residential solar tech start-up Yuda.com.ph. He has previously held leadership positions in Shell, Clime Capital, AboitizPower, and Solar Philippines. Ping has developer and investment experience in clean energy projects such as solar, wind, energy efficiency, energy storage, and electric vehicles. He advocates technology adoption in sustainable energy and Bitcoin and has been involved in drafting government policy through the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB).

Engr. Imelda Pabros

Pag-Ibig Fund

Property Valuation Department Manager 

Foundation for Sustainable Society Inc. (FSSI), a social investment organization established in 1995, works for the development of sustainable communities through social entrepreneurship.

It provides financial and capacity building services to social enterprises across the country which live out the triple bottom lines (3BL) of social equity, environmental protection, and economic development.

Sixto Donato "Dodo" Macasaet, FSSI Executive Director, has for many years successfully led and managed many major civil society organization (CSO) networks in the Philippines, including the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) and the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA), a national federation of peasant organizations. 

He has extensive experience in economic development and cooperative development in the various organizations he worked with, including CODE-NGO, PAKISAMA, National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) and Center for Community Services (CCS). Currently, he is also a guest lecturer at the School of Government (ASOG) of the Ateneo de Manila University.

Dodo graduated cum laude with a degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University and has a masteral degree in public administration from the University of the Philippines