Eastern Samar advances province-wide renewable energy roadmap, strengthens coordinated energy planning

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities
PRESS RELEASE

QUEZON CITY, 21 May 2026 — The Provincial Government of Eastern Samar advances its commitment to a cleaner, more resilient, and community-centered energy future during the “Localizing Energy Transition: Empowering Local Government to Co-Create the Renewable Energy Roadmap,” held on May 18 to 21. 2026.

In partnership with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), the workshop convened members of the Technical Working Group (TWG), comprising decision-makers and representatives from key provincial government offices of Eastern Samar, including the Provincial Governor’s Office, Provincial Administrator’s Office, Budget Office, Planning and Development Office, Legal Office, Treasurer’s Office, Engineering Office, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Environment and Natural Resources Office and General Services Office.

Throughout the workshop, the TWG surfaced the diverse local energy realities and challenges faced by the municipalities across the province – from high electricity costs and unreliable power supply to limited energy access in island baranggays. Through guided discussions, data sharing, and collective assessments, the TWG mapped out local energy needs, existing resources, and priority areas for intervention, including strengthening the energy resilience of frontline services such as public hospitals and health facilities to ensure uninterrupted delivery of critical services during outages, disasters, and other emergencies.

Learning sessions led by advisors and experts helped build a shared understanding of the province’s energy sector, viable RE technologies, and the policies and processes needed to lay the groundwork for its Renewable Energy (RE) Roadmap.

“This workshop will also help us determine kung maganda ba ang plano namin or lumilipat lang kami for the sake of transitioning to renewable energy,” Hon. Ralph Vincent Evardone, the Governor of Eastern Samar, said during his opening remarks. “It’s a good thing that we already have this planning workshop because we will be able to see which direction we’re going to be moving forward,” he added.

Eastern Samar’s energy relies heavily on transmission corridors and has limited local generation capacity, making it vulnerable to power disturbances and outages. The province also has several geographically isolated island barangays where reliable electricity remains unavailable, causing disparities in services and opportunities available for people and communities.

Throughout the four-day event, the TWG acknowledged the ongoing efforts of municipalities and island communities toward energy transition, emphasizing the critical role of collaboration between local and provincial governments in developing localized and community-centered energy projects that will benefit the province.

“Co-develop the projects with the communities, partner naman talaga natin sila. [Ang] bottom line nito is let’s go ahead and implement because energy transition for the Philippines is not just green, it must [also] be local,” said Miss Grace Yeneza, the Managing Director of Preferred Energy Inc..

Experts from the Department of Energy (DOE) including Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol, DOE – Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) Assistant Director Ruby de Guzman and her team, alongside the Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative (ESAMELCO), financing institutions such as the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and renewable energy advocates shared their insights during the workshop, helping the TWG identify possible ordinances, policies, strategies, and projects that can accelerate their transition. Through the Asia Engine for Net Zero (AENZ), discussions also highlighted the important role of rural banks in providing more accessible and community-centered financing for small- and community-scale renewable energy projects.

The participants engaged in several brainstorming, process-mapping, and stress-testing sessions, identifying their priorities, investment opportunities, possible barriers, and the next steps for the province’s RE roadmap. The workshop also served as a venue to strengthen ongoing policy initiatives, including the Renewable Energy Promotion Ordinance being spearheaded by Board Member PJ Evardone, which has already undergone its first hearing. During the discussions, the TWG shared that the proposed ordinance forms part of Eastern Samar’s broader push toward a localized energy transition and sought further guidance from the ICSC Energy Legal team to help strengthen the ordinance moving forward.

Board Member Pearl Fatima Evardone also expressed appreciation for the partnership and technical guidance provided by ICSC as the province moves forward in shaping its renewable energy future.

“We hope that ICSC will continue to walk with us as we strengthen and advance Eastern Samar’s renewable energy initiatives,” she said. “This partnership gives us the chance to shape an energy pathway that is more sustainable, resilient, and responsive to the needs of our fellow Estehanons.”

This workshop is part of ICSC’s broader agenda on localizing energy transition in the Philippines by supporting local government units in developing their renewable energy (RE) roadmaps. The next leg of this initiative will be for the Local Government Unit of Paranas, Samar, later this May.