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DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR NO. DC2020-06-0015

PRESCRIBING THE GUIDELINES OF THE PHILIPPINE ENERGY LABELING
PROGRAM (PELP) FOR COMPLIANCE OF IMPORTERS, MANUFACTURERS,
DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS OF ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND OTHER
ENERGY-CONSUMING PRODUCTS (ECP)

WHEREAS, Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7638 or the "Department of Energy (DOE)
Act of 1992" states that it is the policy of the State to ensure a continuous, adequate,
reliable, and economic supply of energy through, among others, judicious
conservation, renewal, and efficient utilization of energy, to keep pace with the
country's growth and economic development;

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 11285 otherwise known as "An Act Institutionalizing
Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Enhancing the Efficient Use of Energy, and
Granting Incentives to Energy Efficiency and Conservation Projects" or the EEC Act,
declares the policy direction of the government in terms of energy efficiency,
conservation, sufficiency and sustainability in the country;

WHEREAS, the enactment of the EEC Act repealed and superseded Department
Circular No. DC2016-04-0005 entitled "Declaring the Compliance of Importers,
Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers of Electrical Appliances and Other Energy
Consuming Products with the Philippine Energy Standards and Labelling Program as
a Policy of the Government";

WHEREAS, pursuant to the EEC Act, the DOE, in consultation with concerned
government agencies and entities, local government units, commercial, industrial, and
transport sectors and other relevant stakeholders, issued, adopted and promulgated
Department Circular No. DC2019-11-0014 or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Act Implementing Rules and Regulations (EEC-IRR);

WHEREAS, Section 5 of EEC Act provides that the DOE shall be the lead agency in
the implementation of this Act with the responsibility for the planning, formulation,
development, implementation, enforcement, and monitoring of energy management
policies and other related energy efficiency and conservation plans and programs;

WHEREAS, Rule XII. Energy Efficiency Rating and Labeling Requirements of DC No.
2019-11-0014, mandates the following:

  Section 58. Energy Efficiency Rating and Labeling System
  Section 59. Energy Efficiency Rating and Labeling for Products and Equipment
  Section 60. Energy Labeling for Transport Vehicles
  Section 61. Examination, Testing and Verification

WHEREAS, Rule XVII of EEC-IRR enumerated the prohibited acts and enforcement
methods, administrative and criminal liabilities;

WHEREAS, conservation and efficient utilization of energy are among the major
strategies of the Government to realize energy self-sufficiency and reduce
environmental impacts of energy generation and utilization as instituted in the
Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Program (NEECP); and

WHEREAS, the mandatory implementation of the PELP will lead to, among others,
the empowerment of consumers in choosing energy efficient products at the point of
sale, realization of energy savings and reduction of energy consumption/bills through
the use of energy efficient products, elimination of energy inefficient products in the
market and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of all the foregoing, the DOE hereby
institutionalize the PELP and issues, adopts and promulgates the following:

Section 1. Title. This Department Circular shall be known as the "PELP Guidelines."

Section 2. Scope and Application. This Department Circular shall apply to all
importers, manufacturers, distributors, dealers and retailers of all energy-consuming
products, equipment and transport vehicles.

Section 3. Definition of Terms. For the purposes of this Department Circular, its
Annexes and the PELP Implementing Guidelines, the following terms and definitions
shall apply:

a. Applicant refers to any natural or juridical person engaged in the manufacturing,
importing, distributing, or dealing of ECPs who registers with the DOE in
compliance with the requirements of this Department Circular and the PELP
Implementing Guidelines.

b. Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products (COPE) refers to the particular
product requirement (PPR) which is an integral part of the PELP Implementing
Guidelines.

c. DOE Monitoring Team refers to a core group of personnel from EPRED, and/or
other DOE-authorized representatives to assist the agency in the conduct of
monitoring and verification activities as specified in the PELP Implementing
Guidelines.

d. Energy Consuming Products (ECP) refer to products that utilize any form of
energy (i.e. electricity, petroleum products, renewable energy, etc.) for specific
use.

e. Energy Label refers to the prescribed tag/sticker/marker in this Department
Circular that bears the DOE logo and essential energy performance ratings (i.e.
efficiency, energy consumption, etc.) compliant to the PPR.

f. Enforcement refers to an activity or operation including on-site inspections
where DOE detects violations or possible violations for the purpose of seeing
to it that these comply with the provisions of this Department Circular.

g. Minimum Energy Performance for Products (MEPP) refers to the minimum
energy performance for products set by the DOE for specific ECPs.

h. Monitoring refers to an activity where the DOE systematically observes, checks
and keeps record of the compliance with the requirements of this Department
Circular and the PELP Implementing Guidelines.

i. NEECD refers to the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Database.

j. Particular Product Requirements (PPR) refers to component of the PELP
Implementing Guidelines that provides the detailed technical requirements of
specific household appliances and other energy-consuming devices it covers
and particularly requiring the attachment of appropriate energy label.

k. Retailer refers to any natural or juridical person engaged in the business of
habitually selling consumer products such as various ECPs directly to
consumers.

l. Verification refers to the process of verifying the correctness of the energy
ratings and other information on the energy label, and/or the process of
establishing through tests, the veracity and accuracy of claims on energy
efficiency.

m. Importer refers to an entity engaged in bringing various products into the
Philippines from another country or economy. (as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

n. Institutionally-manufactured or sold products refer to products locally
manufactured or imported and directly sold by the supplier to the end-user and
where the products are put into service. (as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

Section 4. Implementing Units. The following DOE units shall have functions in the
implementation of this Department Circular:

4.1 EUMB or the Energy Utilization Management Bureau shall be
responsible for the formulation, promulgation, enforcement, review and
evaluation of the PELP policy and for implementing monitoring activities
to ensure the industry player's compliance to the program. EUMB shall
discharge the functions as follows:

  4.1.1 The Alternative Fuels and Energy Technology Division (AFETD)
  shall be responsible for the formulation, development, and updating of
  fuel efficiency testing guidelines and the Minimum Energy Performance
  for Transport Vehicles (MEPV), fuel economy performance, and other
  transport-related policies in support of the NEECP.

  4.1.2 The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program Management and
  Technology Promotion Division (EPMPD) shall be responsible for the
  promotion and the Information, Education, and Communication (IEC)
  campaign activities related to the PELP.

  4.1.3 The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Performance Regulation and
  Enforcement Division (EPRED) shall be responsible for the formulation,
  development, and updating of the Minimum Energy Performance for
  Products (MEPP), Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products
  (COPE), and the development of guidelines for on-site inspections,
  conduct of monitoring, verification, and enforcement activities, processing
  of applications such as Company Registration, Product Registration, and
  Energy Label Issuance in compliance with PELP.

  4.1.4 The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Public Sector Management
  Division (EPSMD) shall be responsible for the promotion and IEC
  activities for the public sector. (as amended by DC2024-05-0017)

4.2 Energy Research Testing and Laboratory Services - Lighting and
Appliance Testing Division (ERTLS-LATD) may assist in assessing the
recognition of testing laboratories and may also be tapped to assist in
the testing services for ECPs covered by PELP.

4.3 Field Offices (FOs) referring to the DOE Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao
Field Offices shall be responsible for market monitoring and enforcement
to ensure industry players' compliance to the PELP in coordination with
the local government units and submit compliance reports to EUMB.

4.4 Information Technology Management Services (ITMS) shall provide
support to EPRED in maintaining the NEECD and the online PELP
services.

4.5 Legal Services - General Legal Services Division (LS-GLSD) shall be
responsible for the adjudication for violations of prohibited acts under the
EEC Act, the EEC-IRR, this Department Circular, PELP Implementing
Guidelines and any related issuances for non-compliant products,
equipment and transport vehicles, in cooperation with EUMB and LATD.

Section 5. Covered Energy Consuming Products. Under this Department Circular,
the PELP will cover the ECPs provided under Annex B (Matrix of Covered ECPs):
Provided, That additional ECPs may be included within the coverage of the PELP upon
the recommendation of the EUMB. (as amended by DC2024-05-0017)

PELP-covered ECPs with or without a prescribed Minimum Energy Performance for
Products (MEPP) requirement shall bear the energy label that specifies the energy
efficiency rating of the product model, as prescribed under the PELP Implementing
Guidelines. The matrix of covered ECPs attached as Annex B in this Department
Circular shall be regularly reviewed and updated in the PELP Implementing
Guidelines. (as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

Section 6. Responsibilities of Applicants. Applicants shall have, but not limited to,
the following responsibilities:

6.1 Ensure that their products, for which an application of energy label has
been approved, comply with the requirements of the PELP and its
Guidelines.

6.2 Make available, and if required, submit reportorial documents to EPRED,
as may be specified in the PELP Implementing Guidelines.

6.3 Pay the application fees in accordance with Annex A. Table of Fees and
be responsible for all attendant costs such as verification testing
(drawing/transport of samples and other related fees).

6.4 Have the labels printed and affixed on the prescribed location on the
ECP under the PELP Implementing Guidelines. (as amended by
DC2022-11-0035)

6.5 Cooperate fully with the DOE Monitoring Team during the conduct of
enforcement, monitoring and verification activities.

Section 7. Responsibilities of Retailers. Retailers shall have, but not limited to, the
following responsibilities:

7.1 Ensure that the ECPs covered by the PELP and are for sale in stores
have the energy labels attached to them on the location prescribed in
this Department Circular and are visible to the buyers. As applicable,
they shall also exhibit the energy labels in all their publications including
the advertisement in newspapers, TVs or leaflets and in all online trading
activities. At the minimum, the energy efficiency class of the product, as
applicable, needs to be mentioned.

7.2 Cooperate fully with the DOE Monitoring Team during the conduct of
enforcement, monitoring, and verification activities.

Section 8. Prohibited Acts. Pursuant to the EEC Act and the EEC-IRR, any person
or entity found in violation of any of the following shall be subject to the appropriate
criminal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as follows:

8.1 Failure to comply with energy labels;
8.2 Removing, defacing or altering any energy label on the ECPs before the
product is sold to the first retail purchaser or leased to the first lessee;
8.3 Failing to provide accurate information or the provision of false or
misleading information as required to be submitted under the EEC Act
and the EEC-IRR;
8.4 Selling, leasing or importing ECPs that do not comply with MEPP;
8.5 Willfully refusing to submit to an on-site inspection;
8.6 Failing or willfully refusing to submit any of the reports required therein;
8.7 Failing to comply with issued orders of the DOE in the discharge of its
enforcement powers;
8.8 Failure to register PELP-covered ECPs; and
8.9 Violating any provisions of the EEC Act, EEC-IRR, codes and guidelines.

Section 9. Implementing Guidelines. The DOE, through EUMB in consultation with
the Implementing Units under Section 4 of this Department Circular, shall issue the
PELP Implementing Guidelines on a per ECP basis, which will include, among others,
administrative, application procedures, general, technical and PPR as well as the
procedure for the monitoring, verification and enforcement of the PELP: Provided, That
PELP Implementing Guidelines shall only be issued after public consultation: Provided
further, That the effectivity and timelines of any issued PELP Implementing Guidelines
will be mutually agreed upon by the DOE and the industry stakeholders.

PELP Implementing Guidelines shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Copies of the PELP
Guidelines shall also be filed with the University of the Philippines Law Center - Office
of the National Administrative Register.

Section 10. Technical Working Groups (TWGs). To facilitate the development of
PPRs, TWGs shall be created as interim bodies of technical personnel. TWGs shall
be convened as necessary to discuss technical matters that pertain to PPRs and
issues on Special Cases such as:

10.1 New technology not yet covered in the current PELP
10.2 Expansion and updates on the PELP

The membership and composition of the TWG is determined according to the specific
technical issues for the ECPs such as test methods, technical requirements, MEPP
coverage, etc. As a token of appreciation for their expertise contribution in the
development of the PPRs, compensation in the form of honorarium may be given to
the members of the TWG (i.e. primary and alternate), who are present on the day of
the meeting: Provided That, the maximum amount is fixed at Five Hundred Pesos
(PhP500.00) per meeting or a maximum of One Thousand Pesos (PhP1,000.00) per
month regardless of the frequency of the meeting in a month: Provided Further That,
the honorarium may be charged against the regular budget of the EUMB subject to
existing government accounting and auditing laws, rules and regulations. (as amended
by DC2022-11-0035)

EPRED shall be the convener of the TWG for the development and formulation of the
PPRs, technical requirements, conformity assessment procedures, and recognition of
testing laboratories. (as amended by DC2024-05-0017)

Consistent with Section 5 of this Department Circular, the output of the TWG on the
PELP Implementing Guidelines and the PPRs shall be for approval of the EUMB:
Provided, That any expansion of covered ECPs will be endorsed by EUMB for
approval of the DOE Secretary.

Section 11. Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products. Pursuant to Section
15 of the EEC Act, the Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products (COPE)
providing for the calculation method for the energy efficiency rating shall accompany
each PELP Implementing Guidelines issued pursuant to Section 9 of this Department
Circular.

Section 12. Compliance Requirements. For the effective implementation, all
applicants and retailers of PELP-covered ECPs shall ensure that energy labels,
prescribed by the DOE, are displayed accordingly and shall provide information that
shall assist consumers to make informed decisions on such products.

All applicants and retailers shall also submit annually to DOE, reckoning on the date
of approval of the energy labels, information on the inventory of sales and technical
files of compliant models for estimating the energy savings related to the
implementation of these requirements. The DOE may issue template forms in the
PELP Implementing Guidelines to facilitate compliance.

Section 13. Enforcement, Monitoring and Verification. The enforcement,
monitoring and verification of compliance by applicants and retailers with the PELP
requirements in the various regions of the country shall be conducted at least once a
year.

Section 14. Penalties. Upon the determination that any person or entity has
committed any of the prohibited acts in Section 8 of this Department Circular, the DOE
may issue an order for the imposition of the administrative fines and penalties in
accordance with Annex C. Schedule of Penalties and Fines. The imposition of
administrative fines and penalties is without prejudice to the institution of criminal
liabilities for violations under the EEC Act, EEC-IRR, and this Department Circular.
(as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

Section 15. Publication. The DOE shall publish a biannually updated list of compliant
products. Non-compliant products shall be published in the DOE website within 72
hours from the date of issuance of the order of non-compliance and biannual in
newspapers of wide circulation, including the name of the applicant or retailer with the
brand name and model, to whom the violation applies to and who failed to remedy the
citation received from the DOE.

An annual report on the status of the PELP implementation shall be published which
shall include, among others, compliance rate by applicants and retailers with energy
labelling requirements as well as improvement in the energy efficiency of products sold
to consumers in the Philippines.

Section 16. Information, Education and Communication Activities. Pursuant to
Section 85 of the EEC-IRR, the DOE shall develop and undertake a national
awareness and advocacy program covering energy efficiency and conservation and
pursue partnerships with relevant stakeholders for the appreciation of this Department
Circular.

Section 17. Repealing Clause. The provisions of other circulars, orders, issuances,
rules and regulations, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Department
Circular are hereby repealed, amended, modified or superseded accordingly.

Section 18. Separability Clause. If for any reason, any section or provision of this
Department Circular is declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts not affected
shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 19. Effectivity. This Department Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) days
following its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Copies
of this Department Circular shall be filed with the University of the Philippines Law
Center - Office of the National Administrative Register.

Issued at Energy Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

ALFONSO G. CUSI
Secretary

June 15, 2020

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## ANNEX A — Table of Fees

| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Company Registration | PhP1,600.00 |
| Product Registration | PhP300.00 per product model |
| Energy Label Issuance | PhP300.00 per issuance |
| Application for Recognition of Testing Laboratories | PhP15,000.00 |

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## ANNEX B — Matrix of Covered ECPs

(as amended by DC2024-05-0017)

Pursuant to Section 5, the following are the covered ECPs under this Department Circular:

**Cleaning and Laundry Appliances** — ECPs used for the removal of dust, dirt,
stains, or other impurities, as well as pressing or removal of unwanted creases:

1. Vacuum
2. Pressure washer
3. Flat iron
4. Garment steamer
5. Washer
6. Dryer
7. Water extractor/spin dryer
8. Tumble dryer

**Cooking and Food Processing Appliances** — ECPs used for food preparation and
cooking:

1. Rice cooker
2. Steamer
3. Electric griller
4. Oven
5. Blender
6. Oven toaster
7. Convection oven
8. Conventional oven
9. Air fryer
10. Turbo broiler
11. Induction cooker
12. Electric stove

**Cooling, Heating and Ventilating Appliances** — ECPs used for controlling,
adjusting, or regulating the temperature of any item or space based on user's
preference, as well as ECPs used to move air around a space to maintain a desired
environmental quality:

1. Air conditioner
2. Air cooler
3. Mobile ducted/portable air conditioner
4. Multi-split air conditioners
5. Electric fan
6. Air purifier
7. Refrigerator
8. Freezer
9. Chiller
10. Water dispenser
11. Water heater
12. Water boiler

**Grooming and Personal Care Equipment** — ECPs used for attending to one's
appearance, personal hygiene, or personal health:

1. Hair dryer
2. Hair blower
3. Hair curler
4. Nail dryer
5. Foot spa machine

**Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Equipment** — ECPs used
for instructing, communicating with, storing data in, retrieving data from, or otherwise
making use of any resources of a computer system or communication network:

1. Computer
2. Laptop
3. Printer
4. Scanner
5. Fax machine
6. Television set
7. Display monitor
8. Audio and/or video player
9. Mobile phone
10. Digital camera
11. Electronic storage media
12. Other radio devices
13. Sound bar
14. Set top box
15. Amplifier

**Lighting Products** — ECPs that provide artificial lighting or illumination:

1. Fluorescent lamp
2. Light emitting diode (LED) lamp
3. Streetlights
4. Color changing LED (tricolor)
5. Decorative LED lamps

**Renewable Energy (RE) Products and other related products:**

1. Solar PV module
2. Solar PV system
3. Solar-aided products

**Auxiliary Devices for ECPs** — All energy consuming, rectifying, converting,
transforming, and storing devices/systems which can be used under normal operating
conditions or in conjunction with other ECPs and related electrical equipment which
are not stated in the previous ECP categories:

1. Energy Saving Devices
2. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
3. Auto Voltage Regulator (AVR)
4. Fire Detection & Alarm System
5. Public Address and Background Music
6. Portable Power Stations
7. Automatic Door and Window Systems
8. Others

**Other ECPs and Devices** recommended by the TWG and approved by DOE
Secretary. (as amended under DC2024-05-0017)

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## ANNEX C — Schedule of Penalties and Fines

(as amended by DC2022-11-0035)

Pursuant to Section 14 of the PELP Department Circular, the following are the
imposable penalties and fees. Fine ranges by offense level: PhP10,000–200,000 (1st
Offense) | PhP201,000–500,000 (2nd Offense) | PhP501,000–1,000,000 (3rd Offense).

[Note: Annex C is a multi-column table mapping violations to per-offense fine ranges.
The OCR captured the violation descriptions and fine range headings but the row-by-
row per-offense assignment was not fully legible. The following violations are listed:]

1. Selling of non-registered product
2. Removal, defacing, altering, or absence of correct energy label on a registered product
3. Failing to provide accurate information or the provision of false or misleading energy information as required
4. Refusal to submit to an on-site inspection
5. Refusal to cooperate (drawing of product samples) during verification testing
6. Non-submission of annual reportorial requirements

*The imposition of the administrative fines and penalties stated above shall be on a
"per product model" basis.*