Key projects pass green lane

MANILA, Philippines  —Some P697.976 billion worth of projects—mostly in the renewable energy sector—were approved this month to be included in the government’s green lane program, which means faster approvals and clearances as these are deemed strategic investments.

According to records from the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) lead investment promotion agency, the Board of Investments (BOI), the January approvals include eight projects that are Filipino-owned, three foreign-owned, while the remainder are jointly owned by local and foreign investors.

These include the P110.88-billion Guimaras Strait II Wind Power Project of the Jet Stream Windkraft Corp., the P110.88-billion Guimaras Strait Wind Power Project of Triconti Southern Wind Corp., the P108.302-billion 650-megawatt (MW) Samar Norte Offshore Wind Power Project, the P150-billion common and shared telecommunications infrastructure of the Edotco Towers Inc. and the P5.03-billion Daklan Geothermal Power Project.

Also in the roster are the P6.66-billion Mt. Labo Geothermal Power Project and the P7.58-billion Mt. Malinao Geothermal Power Project of Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc., the P4.8-billion Cayanga-Bugallon Solar Power Project by PV Sinag Power Inc., the P689-million Cagua-Baua Geothermal Power Project by Pan Pacific Power Phils. Corp, and the P2.74-billion Burgos Pangasinan Solar Power Project by Burgos Pangasinan Solar Energy Corp.

Completing the approvals this month are the P18.7-billion Currimao Solar Power Project by the Northern Sun Power, Inc., the P162.91-billion 1,000-MW San Miguel Bay Offshore Wind Project by the CINMF Ph.Corp., and the P8.8-billion Olongapo Solar Power Project by AP Renewable Energy Corp.

Non-green lane projects

“Those projects not considered as green lane will still be provided investment assistance from (the) BOI Investment Assistance Service in case they have regulatory concerns,” said Board of Investments (BOI) Assistance Service Director Ernesto C. Delos Reyes Jr.

Delos Reyes said applications to the green lane scheme are made through the Greenlane QR Code or by emailing them at [email protected].

“The (One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments) receives and evaluates the application. The director, through the executive director of the OSAC-SI and the governor-in-charge recommends the approval of the project under green lane to the DTI Secretary through the BOI managing head,” he added.

The trade secretary then approves the application and signs the certificate of endorsement.

Since the approval of Executive Order No. 18 in February last year, the OSAC-SI has endorsed a total of 36 projects cumulatively worth P1.196 trillion.

The government’s green lane scheme is aimed at expediting, streamlining, and automating government approval and registration processes for projects which are considered as strategic investments.