Floating solar panel project first in line as Philippines launches green lanes

MANILA, Philippines — Floating solar panels will soon be a fixture in the Philippines’ largest lake if the project reaches fruition, with expectations to benefit from an endorsement under the country’s new “green lanes” for investments.

These “lanes” are expected to smoothen out kinks in doing business in the country. The trade department said on Thursday that Executive Order No. 18’s “best” feature is the streamlining of obtaining permits for business. 

Initiatives to cut red tape is not new, as businesses and firms lament the difficulties of navigating the Philippines’ bureaucracy persist. The World Bank’s Doing Business Report in 2020 placed the Philippines at 95 out of the 190 economies. 

That said, national government agencies and local government units are required to process applications for permits and licenses simultaneously under this new policy. The EO indicates that these government offices need to operate under the presumption that the relevant documents from other agencies have already been issued. 

Applicants must submit an affidavit of undertaking saying they have secured relevant documents from specific NGAs or LGUs and that they will submit the complete documentary requirements within 30 working days.

SunAsia Energy Inc, the renewables firm behind the floating panels' project, received the first certificate of endorsement under EO 18. The project, branded by the state as a strategic investment, is expected to generate 1,300 megawatts once it starts running.

The EO, signed in February, deems investments strategic if those aligned with the Philippine Development Plan, improve the country’s infrastructure, have a hefty impact on the economy, have beneficial environmental effects, contribute to the country’s balance of payments and possess “complex technical processes and engineering.” 

Foreign direct investments count as strategic investments as well. — Ramon Royandoyan