>Manila, 24 November – The country’s first electric vehicle summit successfully concluded today with pledges from leading figures from the private sector, the government, NGOs and the academe to scale up and accelerate electric vehicle development.
“The summit ended on a full charge, with robust plans, new alliances and investor interest. This gathering was about solutions and all representatives from the public and private sector contributed positively, from titans of local industry to jeepney driver associations,” says Red Constantino, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities.
Gia Ibay, climate change head of the World Wide Fund for Nature, which co-organized the event, says, “Harnessing the potential of the market is critical to the country’s response to the climate crisis. Sustainable transport is a key component that can greatly help manage climate change risks and at the same time contribute to the development goals of the Philippines.”
Aiming to craft a long-term road map for the EV industry, the two-day summit garnered support from over 250 participants from national agencies, city governments, banks and businesses, civil society groups and international industry associations. The summit took place at Meralco, which helped put together the meeting. Meralco CEO and president Manuel Pangilinan opened the event followed by Vice President Jejomar Binay, who delivered the summit’s keynote speech.
“The market for electric vehicles in the Philippines is big enough for all. In Mindanao, the potential is particularly promising,” notes Ariel Torres, CEO of Alternative Modern Transport, a summit sponsor.
DOTC Undersecretary Aristotle Batuhan opened the event’s second day, which tackled regulatory and financing issues, along with challenges posed by battery development and charging stations. Officials from the Department of Transport and Communications, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Energy, were also present.
Participants presented solutions to hurdle existing EV issues. “Microfinance is absolutely crucial in scaling-up electric vehicle deployment,” explains Mariel Vincent Rapisura, president of Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Capital Credit and one of the presenters.
Concludes Usec. Batuhan, “With the appalling roadside air quality of Metro Manila and most other Philippine cities plus the prospect of ‘peak oil’ and the rapid rise in the national population, electric vehicles are not only desirable – they are our best options for the future.”
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The first Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit was held from 23 to 24 November 2010 at the Meralco Complex in Pasig. It was organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, Partnership for Clean Air, Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communication, Meralco, Alternative Modern Transport and Motolite.
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