Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP)

The Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP) is a mandatory product registration and labeling scheme for energy-consuming products (ECPs) sold in the Philippines. It is governed by DC 2020-06-0015 (PELP Guidelines) and operates under RA 11285 (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act) [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.51, 2023].

Statutory Mandate (Sections 14–15, RA 11285)

MEP (§14): No manufacturer, importer, distributor, or retailer may sell, lease, or import any energy-consuming product unless it complies with the Minimum Energy Performance standard and is labeled per this Act. All covered entities must submit product information to DOE and subject products to energy performance testing. MEP for products is developed under the PESLP framework [RA 11285, Section 14, 2019].

PELP (§15): DOE is mandated to develop and enforce a mandatory energy efficiency rating and labeling system for identified energy-consuming products — initially room air conditioners, refrigeration units, and television sets. Statutory minimum label content [RA 11285, Section 15, 2019]:

• Energy efficiency rating
• Monthly energy consumption based on a specified hour of daily usage
• Brand name and product model
• Year the energy rating was issued

The calculation method for energy efficiency ratings must be made public and updated regularly. DOE may engage qualified testing entities under RA 9184 or BOT/PPP arrangements for product examination and testing (§16) [RA 11285, Sections 15–16, 2019].

All ECP manufacturers, importers, distributors, and dealers must register their products to obtain an energy label. Regular market monitoring enforces compliance, and companies must annually renew business permits, product inventory reports, and issued labels.

Registration Status (as of 31 December 2023)

136 companies are registered under PELP. [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, Table 29, 2023]

Minimum Energy Performance for Products (MEPP)

MEPP is the standards complement to PELP — it sets mandatory minimum performance thresholds rather than just labels. Current MEPP coverage is limited to appliances. Plans under the EEC Roadmap include [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, Table 32, 2023]:

• Short-term (2023–24): Improve PELP Online Registration System; strengthen monitoring, verification, and enforcement (MVE) framework; expand post-market surveillance
• Medium-term (2025–28): Develop MEPP for motors; expand to other industrial devices; create Building Energy Code for low-rise buildings
• Long-term (2029–50): MEPP for transformers and emerging product categories; harmonize standards with ASEAN experts

Investment and Employment (2023–2050)

Government investment covers procurement and development of the PELP System. Private investment covers revenues from label issuances and PELP Company Representative (PCR) and PELP Assistant Company Representative salaries, plus infrastructure development [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.1012, 2023].

Emissions Avoidance Contribution

PELP/MEPP is the primary GHG emissions abatement tool for the commercial and residential sectors under the NEECP and Roadmap 2023–2050 [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, Table 31, 2023]:

Residential sector PELP/MEPP represents the largest single EEC emissions avoidance stream (248.21 MtCO₂e long-term), reflecting the volume of household appliances across the country.

PESLP Origin — Historical Baseline (DC2016-04-0005)

DC2016-04-0005 (April 2, 2016, Secretary Monsada) formally elevated the Philippine Energy Standards and Labeling Program (PESLP) to an explicit government policy. The program had existed since 1992 through product-specific standards issuances; this circular provided the overarching policy declaration and a blanket prohibition on selling non-compliant products [DC2016-04-0005, §§1–3, 2016-04-02].

Product Coverage at Time of Issue

Mandatory energy labeling had been progressively expanded to cover [DC2016-04-0005, recitals, 2016-04-02]:

• Room air conditioners (original coverage, since 1992, per PNS 396 Part 1:1995)
• Split-type air conditioners
• Refrigerators (5–8 cubic feet storage capacity)
• Self-ballasted fluorescent lamps (CFLs), linear and circular fluorescent lamps, fluorescent lamp ballasts (electronic and magnetic)

Key Provisions

Three operative requirements [DC2016-04-0005, §§3–4, 2016-04-02]:

1. Prohibited act: selling products not compliant with PESLP
2. Reportorial: covered entities must submit energy consumption and savings data to DOE
3. Implementing guidelines: DOE-EUMB and ERTLS to issue per-product technical guidelines after public consultation; effectivity and timelines mutually agreed with industry

From PESLP to PELP

The program was renamed from PESLP to PELP and placed on statutory footing when RA 11285 (EEC Act) was enacted in April 2019. DC2016-04-0005 was superseded by DC2020-06-0015 (June 2020), which operationalized the PELP under the EEC Act framework.

DC2020-06-0015 — PELP Guidelines (Regulatory Framework)

DC2020-06-0015 (15 June 2020, Secretary Cusi) is the primary PELP implementing circular. It superseded DC2016-04-0005, which was in turn made obsolete by RA 11285 (EEC Act). As amended by DC2022-11-0035 and DC2024-05-0017 [DC2020-06-0015, §17, 2020-06-15].

Scope

Applies to all importers, manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers of energy-consuming products (ECPs), equipment, and transport vehicles [DC2020-06-0015, §2, 2020-06-15].

Implementing Unit Structure (§4)

[DC2020-06-0015, §4, 2020-06-15]

Product Coverage (Annex B — as amended by DC2024-05-0017)

Eight ECP categories covered [DC2020-06-0015, Annex B, 2020-06-15]:

Additional ECPs may be included upon EUMB recommendation and DOE Secretary approval.

Registration and Fees (Annex A)

Two-layer registration system [DC2020-06-0015, Annex A, 2020-06-15]:

Annual submission requirement: applicants and retailers must submit inventory of sales and technical files of compliant models by anniversary of energy label approval [DC2020-06-0015, §12, 2020-06-15].

Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products (COPE)

Pursuant to RA 11285 §15, a COPE specifying the energy efficiency rating calculation method accompanies each per-ECP PELP Implementing Guideline. COPE is developed by EPRED via Technical Working Groups (TWGs) convened with industry stakeholders [DC2020-06-0015, §§10–11, 2020-06-15].

TWG honoraria: PhP 500/meeting, max PhP 1,000/month, charged against EUMB budget.

Prohibited Acts (§8)

Nine prohibited acts under the EEC Act and EEC-IRR [DC2020-06-0015, §8, 2020-06-15]:

1. Failure to comply with energy labels
2. Removing, defacing, or altering an energy label before first sale/lease
3. Providing false or misleading energy information
4. Selling, leasing, or importing non-MEPP-compliant ECPs
5. Willful refusal to submit to on-site inspection
6. Willful refusal to submit required reports
7. Failure to comply with DOE enforcement orders
8. Failure to register PELP-covered ECPs
9. Any violation of the EEC Act, EEC-IRR, or related codes

Enforcement and Penalties (Annex C — as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

Enforcement, monitoring and verification at minimum once per year (§13). Penalties are imposed on a per-product-model basis [DC2020-06-0015, §§13–14, Annex C, 2020-06-15]:

Criminal liability under the EEC Act applies in addition to administrative fines.

Publication Requirements (§15)

• Compliant products: published biannually by DOE
• Non-compliant products: published on DOE website within 72 hours of non-compliance order; also biannually in newspapers of general circulation with applicant/retailer name, brand, and model
• Annual PELP implementation report covering compliance rates and energy efficiency improvements across sectors