Thank you, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla; our partners from the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, led by their Mission Director for the Philippines and Mongolia, Mr. Ryan Washburn; the officials and staff of the Department of Energy; fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

We gather here today for the launching of the Energy Sector Emergency Operations Center and Mobile Energy System. Regrettably, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is unable to be with us today.

With your indulgence, I hope you would allow me to read you the speech he prepared for this important event.

Today, we claim another important milestone to ensure the continued delivery of services and sustained government operations in times of disasters with the launching of the Energy Sector Emergency Operations Center and the Mobile Energy System.

These remarkable undertakings of innovation demonstrate how we capitalize on technological advancements and how we can provide proactive solutions to the energy challenges that beset our country.

There is no doubt that these innovations will help in terms of guaranteeing power supply when it is needed most especially during calamities.

Electricity makes relief response and reconstruction possible. We know from bitter experience that power delayed is not only rehabilitation deferred but development denied.

Without power, hospitals cannot treat the injured, food are spoiled, and communication is cut off. For people and places devastated by disasters, nothing conveys the assurance that everything will be alright than the availability of power.

We cannot count on people’s resilience alone, people’s patience is not a renewable resource, we must put in place contingencies.

With the Energy Sector Emergency Operations Center, the government would be able to conduct near real-time monitoring of our energy infrastructure such as the grid performance and distribution network. Especially during disasters when power service is at risk.

It will also serve as a centralized hub for collaboration and information sharing across the entire energy supply chain to ensure seamless coordination among local, regional, and national authorities in times of crises.

Complementing the operating center is the Mobile Energy System or the MES which tops into a renewable energy source and can be used for micro-grids, businesses, health facilities, and homes.

The MES is a safe, dependable, and sustainable power source for emergencies, disaster relief efforts, and critical infrastructure operations in case traditional sources falter.

These systems will ensure the continuous operation of critical infrastructure and basic services in emergency situations.

We will hold the pilot run of the MES in the typhoon prone municipalities of Sta. Ana and Lal-lo in Cagayan Province.

MES units will also be distributed to various government agencies, showing our commitment to improve government services in times of crisis.

Let me say with pride that these projects are the result of dynamic collaboration between the Department of Energy and the United States Agency for International Development or the USAID.

These projects show the power of unity and the value of cooperation.

I expressed my sincerest gratitude for the USAID for sharing their resources and their expertise for these projects.

I also thank the Department of Energy for bringing these projects to fruition to improve the resilience of our energy systems.

Indeed, these projects have shown that government cannot and should not solve all our problems alone, we must leverage the resources and minds available from the private, non-government, and international partners.

Many challenges lie ahead of us as we pursue the attainment of energy security but these, we can surely overcome.

We shall prevail over all adversity so long as we are united in purpose. Let us bring active collaboration and innovative spirit.

As we claim the Bagong Pilipinas that we deserve. A nation powered by clean energy and a thriving community benefiting from stable, reliable, and accessible energy systems.

Thank you and I wish everyone a pleasant day.

This has been the message of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Again, congratulations to the launching of the Energy Sector Emergency Operation Center and Mobile Energy System that will accelerate our nation’s trust toward energy security and resiliency.

Thank you. [applause]

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