Photo 1. Participants of the AJEEP Scheme 4 Country Visit Meeting to the Philippines  

The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), in collaboration with the Energy Conservation Center Japan (ECCJ), conducted a country visit to the Philippines under the ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (AJEEP) on 2 October 2024 at the Department of Energy (DOE) headquarters, Taguig City, Philippines. As part of the AJEEP Scheme 4 for the fiscal year 2024, this visit is the first in a series of country visits. This follows the successful completion of country visits to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in 2023. 

The meeting aimed to disseminate the progress of the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Certification Scheme (SAEMAS) development and to engage in in-depth discussions with the Philippines stakeholders to integrate SAEMAS into the national energy management certification program. Led by Patrick T. Aquino, CESO III, Director of Energy Utilization Management Bureau, DOE, Philippines, the meeting was attended by representatives from DOE, ACE, ECCJ, and invited Recognized Training Institution (RTI), namely Meralco Power Academy and Energy Efficiency Practitioners Association of the Philippines (ENPAP)​. 

Photo 2. Representatives from Energy Conservation Center Japan (ECCJ) 

The meeting commenced with presentations from Toshio Ando, General Manager of ECCJ and Mardika Firlina, Associate Officer of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department (CEE) of ACE, both emphasising the alignment of SAEMAS with APAEC Phase II 2021-2025 goals. ECCJ focused on its technical contributions to the development of SAEMAS, including developing the Common Standard Modules (CSM) and Advanced Modules (AM), while considering the unique aspects of the national energy management systems in each AMS. On the other hand, ACE shared insights on a comparative assessment of Energy Management System policies, certification schemes, and competencies within ASEAN, as well as proposing strategies for integrating the SAEMAS with the existing AEMAS implemented in the Philippines.  

Photo 3. Patrick T. Aquino presenting the Philippines’ Country Report

Photo 4. Representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) Philippines

Patrick T. Aquino provided an overview of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Act. This Act mandates that Designated Establishments (DEs), including private entities classified as energy-intensive industries, implement energy management systems. This involves conducting energy audits every three years, hiring certified energy efficiency practitioners, and submitting annual reports on energy consumption. He also explained that the certification programs for energy professionals in the Philippines, are divided into Certified Energy Managers (CEM), Certified Energy Conservation Officers (CECO), and Certified Energy Auditors (CEA). All applicants seeking certification as Energy Efficiency Practitioners must successfully pass certification examinations and assessments administered by RTI. 

Photo 5. Representatives from Recognized Training Institutions (RTI) 

Two invited RTI, Meralco Power Academy (MPA) and ENPAP 4.0 INC. (Energy Efficiency Practitioners Association of the Philippines), provide comprehensive insights into their certification programme, which includes certification for energy managers.  

ENPAP 4.0 INC. highlighted the progress and achievements of the training program since 2011, completing 36 batches of training by July 2024 and continuing its efforts. They emphasised a significant acceleration in training and certification in 2021, including the introduction of the AEMAS CEM and CECO training programs, as well as the re-launch of the AEMAS Energy Management Gold Standard. ENPAP 4.0 INC. has also actively promoted the certification program to various professional organisations nationwide together with the DOE. They expressed interest in exploring the future of AEMAS and how SAEMAS, as a new regional certification scheme for energy managers, will be integrated with it. 

Photo 6. Discussion during AJEEP Scheme 4 Country Visit Meeting 

MPA shared its certification for CEM, which began in 2021 with 972 participants from 25 different batches. They also highlighted the benefits of the program, such as providing graduates with lifetime access to the MPA portal, a web-based portal containing course materials, references, and seminar videos. MPA expressed their efforts to continue improving the program by adding complementary training programs for energy managers and offering consultancy and energy audit services. They also expressed interest in the modules offered in the SAEMAS program and looked forward to potential collaborations to strengthen the CEM program while supporting the future implementation of SAEMAS in the Philippines. 

Photo 7. Wrap up AJEEP Country Visit Meeting 

In conclusion, the country visit under AJEEP Scheme 4 to the Philippines highlighted the progress and challenges in developing a unified energy management certification system across ASEAN through the SAEMAS. The discussions and technical input from ECCJ and ACE emphasised the need for harmonised training modules and standards to ensure consistency across member states while addressing the unique requirements of each country. Moving forward, the focus will be on finalising the CSM and AM, conducting SAEMAS trial implementations in 2025, and integrating existing national certification systems into SAEMAS. 

AJEEP is a regional cooperation initiative between ASEAN and Japan, implemented by the ACE and ECCJ with financial support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI). This partnership aims to strengthen the capacity of AMS and reduce disparities in energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C) policies and practices. In 2022, AJEEP advanced into its Scheme 4 and Scheme 5 phases. AJEEP Scheme 4 focuses on supporting the development and implementation of the SAEMAS.