The Department Order (DO) No. DO2020-010-0001 organizes the Inter-Agency Efficiency and Conservation Committee (IAEECC) and gives its power and functions to evaluate and approve government efficiency projects and provide strategic direction in the implementation of the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP). Since Section 6 of the EEC-IRR stated that all government agencies shall ensure the efficient use of energy in their respective offices, facilities, transportation units, and other areas, the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP) should then be compiled by government entities, including departments, bureaus, offices, agencies, GOCCs and their subsidiaries, self-governing boards or commissions, and other instrumentalities of the government. This is under section 43 of the EEC-IRR.

This resolution covers all the agreements made between the members of the IAEECC regarding the directive to all government agencies to comply with the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP). This is to reduce the government’s monthly consumption of electricity and fuel consumption. Moreover, it is stated in this resolution that the guidelines for the implementation of the GEMP shall include the use of savings realized through the implementation of energy efficiency and conservation program (EECP) in the agencies concerned.

As agreed, there shall be a designated Energy Efficiency and Conservation Officer (EEC Officer) in every government entity and he will be responsible to ensure the compliance of the government agency with the provisions of the EEC Act and its IRR. Designated EEC Officer shall facilitate the accomplishment and submission to the DOE of the electricity and fuel consumption reports.

Other than that, the head of each department shall designate the EEC focal person for each bureau/services/office, including its regional or field offices and the Foreign Service posts, to assist the EEC officer in the implementation of the GEMP. The EEC focal person shall provide the reports to the EEC officer such as the monthly electricity and fuel consumption reports, should they have separate electricity and fuel accounts from that of their mother department in the central office. The attached agencies in a mother department shall have a separate EEC officer and they shall likewise be allowed to have their EEC focal persons as necessary or applicable.

This resolution also stated that the air conditioning unit thermostat shall be adjusted to 24 deg C as part of the implementation of GEMP applicable to all government entities and foreign posts are encouraged to adopt the same thermostat setting depending on the climate of the country where the post is located.

Lastly, the resolution covers the responsibility of the DOE to conduct energy audits, spot checks, surveys, technical analyses, and other research activities related to the energy efficiency projects of the government entities concerned and shall propose improvements to the existing GEMP for consideration by the IAECC with includes review and revision of threshold or savings of at least 10% in the electricity and fuel consumption and guidelines on the use of savings and development of criteria for government energy efficiency projects.

Section 5 of the EEC Act states that the DOE shall take the lead in the implementation of the law and shall be responsible for the planning, formulation, development, implementation, enforcement, and monitoring of energy management policies and other related energy efficiency and conservation plans and programs.