JOE MENDOZA
Aurora News Desk
The energy department, in line with the celebration of December as National Energy Month, held a consumer’s forum on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Liquid Petroleum Products (LPP) here.
The said forum carried the theme, ‘Sapat na enerhiya para sa matatag na ekonomiya” and is in coordination with DTI-Zambosur.
Held at Pagadian Bay Plaza Hotel, different sectors like Catholic Women’s League Pagadian City chapter led by Leonila Tecson, Consumers Association Officers and LGU representatives and businessmen attended the forum.
Discussed in the gathering is the switch program of the government, in connection with the “Palit Ilaw” Program as emphasized by Nilo Geroche, DOE’s senior SRS.
“Palit Ilaw” is one of the programs of government initiated under the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program focusing on the use of energy-saving lamps like compact fluorescent lamps (CFL).
Also tackled is the deregulation of the oil industry as explained by Ceferino Rubio, division chief, DTI’s Consumers Welfare Bureau Regulatory Division.
Rubio explained that DTI cannot in any way control oil price increase and even cannot be compel oil players under the provision of Consumer Act because of the existence of RA.8180, the Oil Deregulation Law.
Geroche explained that deregulation reduces the legal constraints on private participation in the provision of services or by allowing competition among private suppliers for services, which in the past had been monopolies.
DTI Provincial Director Ma. Socorro Atay and DOE director Hermenio Ariola were likewise present in the forum.