TAGUIG CITY – The Department of Energy (DOE) and the University of the Philippines (UP) joined forces on Friday, 7 December 2018, to champion the natural gas program of the country.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA)  with the UP Statistical Center Research Foundation, Inc.'s (UPSCRFI) President Dr. Gervacio Selda Jr. for the implementation of the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry Regulation (PDNGR).

Under the agreement, UPSCFRI will render technical assistance to the DOE using the funds sourced from the Department of State of the United States of America.

UPSCRFI will provide policy recommendations; financial, technical and other relevant forms of assistance; and facilitate capacity building activities for the evaluation of natural gas investment project applications.

UPSCRFI will participate in the crafting of technical, economic and financial guidelines, criteria, and systems that would be used as resources to review and evaluate proposals of investors to set up liquid natural gas (LNG)-related investment facilities. It will identify, organize and mobilize a technical working group that will review specific aspects of the LNG project proposals.

The DOE and UPSCRFI also agreed to jointly conduct specific research activities to provide broader and in-depth understanding of the LNG industry and other relevant policies. 

The ceremonial signing was conducted during the Gas Policy Development Project launch and inception workshop held at Shangri-La at the Fort in Taguig as part of the celebration of 2018 National Energy Consciousness Month and was witnessed by DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos and United States Department of State Senior Foreign Assistance Planning Officer Levi White. 

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