Philippines among the most energy efficient Asian countries

Joins China, Japan, Singapore, and Korea among the top five.

The Asian Development Bank said the Philippines is now ranked as one of the top five most energy efficient countries in Asia.

“In Southeast Asia, the Philippines is very, very ahead,” said ADB Principal Energy Specialist Sohail Hasnie.

Undersecretary Loreta Ayson of the Department of Energy said that the Philippines’ energy efficiency initiatives are close to, and in some case even at par, with the other top five countries.

“I think we’re a leading country as far as energy efficiency is concerned,” Ayson said.

Hasnie said the Philippines has one of the largest number of energy efficiency projects ADB is financing. ADB has funded US$31 million via loans to the government’s Philippine Energy Efficiency Project. The Philippine government, for its part, contributed US$15.4 million.

Hasnie said Philippine initiatives in electric vehicles and massive usage of CFLs have elevated its energy efficiency status. He noted that the Philippines was the first Asian country to phase out incandescent bulbs.

On the downside, Philippine energy costs are one of the highest in the region.