President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday attended the launching of the Climate Friendly Cities project in Bacolod City after the signing of a memorandum between the city government and the project proponents for its implementation.

The MOA was entered into between Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, representing the Bacolod City government, and Athena Ballesteros, representing the Green Renewable Independent Power Producer, on board one of the electric jeepneys at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City. The program and MOA signing was followed by a ceremonial test drive of two of the vehicles around the school campus by Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue.

The launch has established Bacolod City alongside Makati City as a pilot area for GRIPP's Climate Friendly Cities project.

GRIPP and Greenpeace used the occasion to present their call to the President for the national government to support the large-scale replication of the project in cities around the country, and to enable the massive uptake of renewable energy alternatives in order to mitigate climate change.

Ballesteros said "Bacolod and Makati have demonstrated that local governments can take action and play a critical role in contributing to global efforts at curbing dangerous climate change even while they forge real, sustainable solutions that address festering environmental problems at the local level like air pollution and municipal waste.

She said the project has three components, the first is the fleet of electric jeeps with three units in Negros and in Manila, the next is the biogas digester, which is a renewable energy based power plant using organic waste, and the electric depot which is an alternative gas station.

Under the MOA, GRIPP shall be responsible for the actual implementation of the project, particularly the operations of the biodigester and the utilization of the electronic jeepneys and its concomitant results.

On the other hand, the city will be responsible in helping secure for the project preferably a one hectare piece of land for use of GRIPP on which the biodigester or power plant and depot for the jeepneys will be built, by way of a long term lease agreement at a reduced or affordable price or whatever arrangement is deemed appropriate.

The city will also help provide GRIPP with a test route or routes and the corresponding franchises for a period of technical and commercial tests of the pilot fleets of three electric jeepneys, of not less than three months between July to October 2007.

Leonardia said "The e-jeepney is a response to our concern over global warming because this is environment-friendly. This will make Bacolod a trailblazer and the project will be a new avenue for those with entrepreneurial skills to explore," he said.

"What is heartening is that Bacolod has been chosen as a pilot area and will hold the distinction of being the first city outside of Manila where the e-jeeps will be introduced," Leonardia said. "This will project an image that the city is open to new ideas and that there is dynamism in the economy that caters to innovations that will further enhance the reputation of our city as the Most Business Friendly City in the Visayas, he said.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said they thank GRIPP for the project and vowed that they will fully support it. He said this is one of the ways the city can help address the problem of global warming. Councilors Homer Bais, Greg Gasataya, Al Victor Espino, and PhilBIO Cebu branch manager Ricky Beltran were also present at the launching.*CGS

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