September, 05 2025
A proud moment of the BEDP 2023-2050 Technical Working Group (L-R: NGCP, UP, CSU, LGU, ANECO electric coop) together with WWF-Philippines and IKI Interface in the Philippines.
On 14 August 2025, WWF-Philippines, in a powerful collaboration with the City Government of Butuan, co-organized the Renewable Energy Investment Forum. This event was a significant gathering for all stakeholders, held at the Buenavista Hall of Almont Inland Resort and Convention Center, Butuan City, showcasing our shared commitment to the future of renewable energy.
WWF-Philippines works to accelerate the country's transition to renewable energy systems and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption. Working closely with policymakers and governments on the national and local levels to tackle this challenge is part of our principle of "Together, Possible."
This project, Financing and Integrating Renewable Energy (FinRE) in the City of Butuan, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. Representing IKI was Mr. Rene Freytag, Head of the IKI Interface in the Philippines, who delivered a powerful message of solidarity and cooperation with the international community that impacts the lives of ordinary Filipinos, as envisioned by the country.
Through the FinRE project, local stakeholders were technically capacitated in crafting the Butuan City Energy Development Plan (BEDP) 2023-2050 under the mentorship of UP Electrical and Electronics Institute R&D Foundation, Inc. The Investment Forum was also the perfect time to unveil the freshly-printed BEDP copies led by the City Mayor, Atty. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun, the Department of Energy – Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director, Atty. Marissa P. Cerezo, WWF-Philippines' Executive Director, Katherine P. Custodio, and the IKI's Mr. Rene Freytag.
One of the BEDP highlights is the identification and declaration of the RE zones. These zones hold a promising potential of about 4,000 MW if we harness these indigenous sources of energy. This potential has sparked the interest of local stakeholders who have identified three pilot RE projects to pursue. These projects include a 10 MW ground-mounted utility-scale solar project, a biomass power project, and E-trike public utility vehicles. The results of these pre-feasibility studies for these projects were shared in the forum by the partner NGO, Preferred Energy Inc.
The event was attended by representatives from various sectors, including the financing institutions, renewable energy developers, national government agencies, development organizations, and the private sector, including RE developers interested in the opportunities for collaboration and engagement towards a clean energy future that will power the development aspirations of Butuan City.
The speakers from DOE's Policy and Planning Bureau and the RE Management Bureau shed light on the importance of renewables in the Clean Energy Roadmap of the Philippines, aligned to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. They also emphasized the crucial and empowering role of the LGUs in Energy Transition and Security. Representing the Mindanao Development Authority was Mr. Jun Piong, who shared Mindanao's Inclusive Energy Transition with the ambition of a 50-50 power generation mix by 2030.
A short panel discussion drew out some policy recommendations and questions from the floor on relevant energy issues were clarified. The questions and policy recommendations revolved around the feasibility and sustainability of the proposed RE projects, reviewing caps/limits of the competitive selection process, other challenges and opportunities in the clean energy transition, and the role of the government and private sector in promoting renewable energy.
Discussants were representatives from the state-owned and private banks, DOE, Bureau of Investments, Chamber of Commerce, and the City Licensing and Permitting Office. While the RE opportunities may not necessarily be the big-ticket projects going beyond the 10MW solar project, they could still mean investing in e-trikes to be lent to transport cooperatives (rent-to-own units) or installing a less than 1MW biomass power plant to increase productivity and energy efficiency among the agri- and agro-processing plants in Butuan. Two of the country's e-trike manufacturers attended and considered locating in Butuan for their manufacturing facility to serve their growing EV market demand.
