ANGARA EYES "GREEN JOBS" IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today said that grabbing a piece of the global Renewable Energy (RE) market would spur much needed jobs in the countryside and facilitate growth amid fears of unemployment and economic slowdown due to the global financial turbulence.

"We are poised to grab a piece of the global Renewable Energy investments, which in 2007 reached more than $100 billion. In order to turn these investment potentials into actual benefits for the country, the Philippines has put up probably one of the best source of incentives in RE industry in the world. We have surveyed almost all fifty-six (56) renewable energy policies in the world and gathered all their best practices into our country's incentive package," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology.

He added, "The enactment of RE will spur economic growth in rural areas by providing employment opportunities and bringing in investments which are much needed to mitigate possible long term impacts of the present global financial crisis."

Recently, International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Organization of Employers and the International Trade Union Confederation (Ituc) and UN Environment Programme (Unep) released a new report titled "Green Jobs: Toward Decent Work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World" wherein it noted that "investments resulting from efforts to reduce climate change and its effects are already generating new jobs."

The report cited Germany's experience wherein the number of jobs in the renewable-energy sector rose from 66,600 in 1998 to 259,100 in 2006.

Globally, the Renewable Energy sector employs 2.3 million people - many of which are from developing countries like China and Brazil. The report showed that more than 20 million people will be employed by the renewable energy sector in 2030.

"The green lights of RE opportunities are beaming towards the developing countries side. I am confident that through our competitive incentives program, we can attract investors to put their stake in RP's RE potentials," Angara said.

The Renewable Energy bill, a landmark law that seeks to address both energy security and climate change, is set to be signed by the President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.