RA 11572 — Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute Act
Republic Act No. 11572, the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute Act, establishes the Philippine Energy Research and Policy Institute (PERPI) as an independent research and policy body attached to the University of the Philippines. Signed July 30, 2021 by President Duterte; effective 15 days after publication. Ingest status: Complete — all sections ingested (§1–22).
PERPI is the first standalone statutory energy research institute in the Philippines. Its attachment to UP (rather than DOE) is the defining governance choice — ensuring research independence from the energy department.
Section 2 — Declaration of Policy
The overarching goal is to ensure energy security, equity, and sustainability. Subsidiary policies [RA 11572, Section 2, 2021]:
| Point | Policy |
|---|---|
| (a) | Enhance and promote acquisition of knowledge in recent developments and scientific breakthroughs in energy |
| (b) | Identify key policy areas, issues, and challenges in the country’s energy sector |
| (c) | Formulate multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary research-based policies and strategies for cost-effective, environmentally sound energy development |
| (d) | Promote, enhance, and strengthen research in public and private sectors focused on sustainable, efficient, and indigenous energy sources |
Section 3 — Establishment
PERPI is established as an independent agency attached to the University of the Philippines (UP). It has its own budget separate from UP [RA 11572, Section 3, 2021].
Governance implication: PERPI is not under DOE. Its IRR is promulgated by UP (§19), not DOE, and is subject to approval by the UP Board of Regents. Government agency heads (including DOE and ERC Secretaries) may be invited as resource persons to the Executive Board but hold no membership seats (§9).
Section 4 — Objectives (10 Points)
| Objective | Detail |
|---|---|
| (a) | Conduct pertinent independent multidisciplinary/transdisciplinary energy R&D per research agenda set by Executive Board |
| (b) | Promote collaborative research among government agencies, academe, and public/private stakeholders |
| (c) | Maintain independence — research not to be influenced or constrained by political affiliations, technological bias, or other presuppositions |
| (d) | Ensure timely dissemination to key government agencies to guide policy and decision-making |
| (e) | Provide assistance to the government, energy regulators, and the legislature on energy policy issues |
| (f) | Establish mechanisms for dissemination and utilization of research and technology/policy outputs |
| (g) | Create training programs and fellowship grants for government agencies, academe (graduate/postgraduate students), and public/private energy stakeholders |
| (h) | Serve as a medium for bringing together local and international energy experts |
| (i) | Create and maintain a data bank per RA 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012) |
| (j) | Maximize use of digital technologies for data storage, dissemination, and function implementation |
[RA 11572, Section 4, 2021]
Section 5 — Powers and Functions
| Function | Detail |
|---|---|
| (a) | Formulate and conduct R&D on energy technology, public policy issues in energy markets, and impacts on the environment, health, and consumers — backed by rigorous empirical evidence |
| (b) | Establish linkages with government agencies, universities, private and public institutions on energy research and policy |
| (c) | Conduct research, policy development, and capacity-building — special attention to DOE, ERC, and the legislature |
| (d) | Provide common research support facilities and maximize use of technical experts |
| (e) | Enhance the pool of researchers and faculty with graduate/postgraduate degrees in energy economics, energy engineering, energy law, energy statistics, data science |
| (f) | Establish local and foreign linkages in energy research and policy development |
| (g) | Serve as repository of all energy-related research, studies, and data — from the Institute and from academic, public, and private groups |
| (h) | Propose and allocate annual budgetary resources; optimize resource generation and utilization |
| (i) | Receive and manage grants, aid, donations, contributions — amounts and sources published on website for transparency |
[RA 11572, Section 5, 2021]
Sections 6–10 — Governance
Section 6 — Organizational Structure
Executive Director heads the Institute and reports directly to the Executive Board. Supported by a pool of research fellows from diverse disciplines and multiple public and private universities [RA 11572, Section 6, 2021].
Section 7 — Executive Director
- Qualifications: Recognized expert in energy R&D and policy; at least 3 years’ experience in the energy sector; strong organizational management background
- Appointed by UP President within 60 calendar days after IRR effectivity, upon Executive Board recommendation
- 5-year term, renewable
- Upon assumption: must publicly disclose all connections to energy industry participants; must divest all interests; must terminate employment/consultancy with energy industry
- Strict conflict-of-interest avoidance throughout the term
[RA 11572, Section 7, 2021]
Section 9 — Executive Board
7-member governing body [RA 11572, Section 9, 2021]:
| Seat | Occupant |
|---|---|
| Chairperson (ex officio) | UP President |
| 4 seats from academe | Experts/researchers — one each from different fields: engineering, law, science, statistics, economics, social science, public health |
| 2 seats from private sector | Representatives — from different fields |
- All 6 non-ex officio members chosen by the UP President
- 3-year term, renewable for 2 more terms
- Government agency secretaries (including DOE, ERC) may only be invited as resource persons — not members
Section 10 — Executive Board Functions
Key function for research agenda [RA 11572, Section 10, 2021]:
§10(b): Executive Board determines the annual research agenda in consultation with the Executive Director, based on:
- Local and international energy policy landscape
- Advancements in technology
- Consideration of the Philippine Energy Plan and issuances of the DOE, ERC, and other energy agencies
PERPI’s research is thus anchored to PEP without being captured by DOE — the Executive Board exercises independent judgment informed by, but not bound by, DOE/ERC issuances.
Sections 12–18 — Operations, Finance, and Transparency
| Section | Provision |
|---|---|
| §12 | Support for further education and training of officers/employees — advanced degrees, short-term programs, online courses, conferences |
| §13 | Public access: research papers, data, resources posted on website and accessible to the public — subject to confidentiality and existing laws |
| §14 | Confidentiality: proprietary or confidential data not disclosed without prior consent of source/owner |
| §15 | Special Account in General Fund (SAGF) for energy research — maintained by Bureau of Treasury; accepts grants, contributions, donations; no conflict of interest allowed |
| §16 | Initial appropriation: PhP 200,000,000 from GAA; thereafter in annual GAA based on Executive Board-approved financial plan submitted to DBM |
| §17 | Government agencies authorized to include contributions to PERPI research funding in their annual budgets |
| §18 | Tax exemptions: PERPI inherits all UP tax exemptions under RA 9500 (UP Charter of 2008) as amended by TRAIN Act (RA 10963); may avail of Tax Expenditure Fund |
Final Provisions (§19–22)
| Section | Provision |
|---|---|
| §19 | IRR within 60 days — promulgated by UP (not DOE), in consultation with academe and stakeholders; subject to approval of UP Board of Regents |
| §22 | Effectivity 15 days after publication in Official Gazette or newspaper of general circulation |
Full text: Cleaned copy