Published August 20, 2017, 10:01 PM By Myrna M.
Velasco
Enforcers of the Philippine National
Police (PNP) in Region 8 can now go after criminals and lawless elements with
“stylish and sophisticated” patrol vehicles, courtesy of the 45 hybrid cars
donated to the law enforcement agency by the Department of Energy (DOE).
The DOE’s turnover of the 2017
Toyota Prius model of hybrid vehicles had been on August 16 (Wednesday) at the
PNP Region 8 headquarters in Kangleon, Palo, Leyte.
All 45 hybrid vehicles will be
deployed in the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.
In handing over the
vehicle-donations, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi noted that more than the
goal of advancing the use of energy-efficient and environment-friendly
technology in the vehicle use of critical agencies of the government, this
package for the PNP is a symbolic gesture of helping the beneficiary-provinces
from their rebuilding state out of the super-typhoon Yolanda nightmare about
four years ago.
“The donation serves as an
opportunity for the DOE to support the development of areas affected by typhoon
Yolanda,” the energy chief said.
As to the department’s own
objectives, the PNP donation would still form part of its ongoing “research,
performance testing and promotion of alternative vehicles,” which could then
set the basis for the country’s jumpstart point into targets of mass scale
rollout of electric vehicles.
The energy department has been
pushing EV as an alternative mode of public transport, but the general
sentiment is for this option to thrive without punishing the public utility
vehicle (PUV) drivers and without also robbing the government of subsidies or
cash dole-outs.
For the donated vehicles to the PNP,
this is still part of the 500 million Japanese yen grant that the government of
Japan had extended to the Philippines.
It had been anchored on goals of
procurement and delivery of next-generation vehicles, including those of
hybrid, plug-in hybrid and purely electric-powered vehicles.
The Japanese grant was from its
Non-Project Grant Aid (NPGA) and had been channeled through the Philippine DOE
as the implementing agency.
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