BOHOL’s renewable energy journey in fast-tracking RE development in the province was highlighted at a convention and exhibit of renewable energy products at the SMX Mall of Asia, Pasay City, on May 19-20, 2026.
The event, dubbed as Solar and Storage Live Philippines 2026, was attended by more than 26 thousand visitors with over 100 exhibitors, speakers, and panelists talking on various subjects on renewable energy.
Bohol’s experience was shared by Provincial Legal Officer Handel T. Lagunay, who chairs the technical working group of the Bohol Renewable Energy Board (BREB). The BREB is chaired by Gov. Aris Aumentado with members from pertinent national government agencies, provincial offices, distribution utilities, academe, and civil society organizations.
In his segment, “Legal Pathways to Accelerate Rural Electrification: Streamlining Local Policies for Solar and Storage Deployment in Island Off-Grid Provinces,” Lagunay recounted how Boholanos suffered more than a month with no power and water after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake and the effects of super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, when its single power line from Leyte was cut off. This led to a realization that without power, which is locally generated, Bohol will continue to be vulnerable.
The three distribution utilities, in close coordination with the provincial government, banded together to secure a power-supply agreement through competitive selection with a critical condition that the winning bidder must build a local power plant. This requirement embedded resilience into the system and reduced dependence on external supply.
Lagunay added that although the winning bidder, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), offered their geothermal power supply from Leyte, the competitive selection process opened the door to renewable energy developers. That moment marked the entry of RE investments into Bohol.
Municipalities facilitated the development of RE in the province by reclassifying agricultural lands as industrial.
In 2023, Bohol enacted the Clean and Renewable Energy Code of Bohol (Provincial Ordinance No. 2023-018), authored by Board Member Jamie Villamor, to promote investments in renewable energy and offer incentives like real property tax exemptions for up to 5 years.
The Code established the Bohol Renewable Energy Board as a primary advisory body and channel for acquiring diverse sector perspectives in the promotion of RE development programs.
The Code aims to accelerate RE development in Bohol through (a) strategic planning and oversight, (b) facilitating distribution utilities and energy companies’ engagement, and (c) endorsement and validation in applying for incentives.
Lagunay underscored Bohol’s proactive stance when it partnered with the Bohol Island State University (BISU) in coming up with the Bohol Renewable Assessment and Mapping (BREAM), which will indicate the locations most suitable for solar power and wind energy, and with the Bohol Association of Non-Government Organizations (BANGON) for an initiative dubbed as Advancing Sustainable Provincial Investments for Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) Projects.
Last February, Gov. Aumentado and DOE Sec. Sharon Garin signed a Memorandum of Agreement bringing Bohol into the Solar Solutions for Government: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Public Buildings (SSG-ERPB) initiative.
Anchored on Gov. Aumentado’s Strategic Governance Roadmap, Bohol continues to strengthen sustainable energy investments and resilience initiatives in the province, the country’s first and only UNESCO Global Geopark. (PR)
