Alumni Corner: Mapúa Alumnus At Forefront Of Gov’t Campaign For Renewable Resources Dev’t

Director Mario C. Marasigan of the Department of Energy (DOE) has been given a tall order when he was tasked to lead the department’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB).

The director has been leading a group of people who are out to ensure the country’s energy security. He and his team do so by promoting the development of the Philippines’ renewable energy (RE) resources.

His group particularly encourages the private sectors to directly participate in the exploration, development and utilization of biofuels and other RE resources such as biomass, geothermal, solar, hydropower, wind, and marine energy.

“The development of our renewable energy resources will bring socio-economic development in rural areas since much of these resources are located there,” he said. “The production of feedstock for biofuels will provide additional income to our agricultural sector. Moreover, renewable energy, being environment friendly, will contribute to the global causes on the environment and climate change.”

Marasigan faithfully does his duty without shirking or complaining. In fact, he even played a major role in the drafting of the two landmark energy laws in the Philippines - the Biofuels Act of 2006 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

Unknown to many, Marasigan, a Bachelor of Science in Geology graduate of Mapúa Institute of Technology, was the main resource person when the two measures were being prepared.

The laws provide fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to private sectors that would get into the development of the RE resources. Fiscal incentives refer to income tax holiday, 10% income tax rate and duty-free importation, among others, while non-fiscal incentives include renewable portfolio standard, feed-in tariff, net metering and green energy option.

He said he considers these laws as his greatest achievements. For one, the Biofuels Act and Renewable Energy Act assure the availability of energy resources to future generations. Two, the two laws enhance the energy security goals of the Philippines.

“Biofuels and RE contributes to our energy security because these are indigenous energy resources. While we have coal, oil and natural gas productions, those are limited and could not address all our energy needs. We, therefore, rely on imports and, being a small country, we are subject to fuel price and supply fluctuations. Biofuels and RE, therefore, reduce our fuel imports,” he said.

He hopes that all his and his team’s efforts would not be put to waste and that it would “become significant in the future.”

Twenty nine years in gov’t service

The REMB director admitted that, when he was young, it never crossed his mind that he would be involved in such advocacy. “I never imagined that a geologist like me would serve as the focal and main resource person, not only in the formulation of the said laws, but also in the implementation of the same.”

Marasigan has been in government service for more than 29 years now. Born in Cuenca, Batangas on February 2, 1961, he is the eldest of five siblings. He is married to Melba B. Faylona, a chemical engineering graduate of Mapúa, and blessed with three sons.

He acquired his Masters in Management at the Technological University of the Philippines in Taguig City. He earned his Postgraduate Studies in Geology at the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences in Enschede, The Netherlands.

Ever since joining the public sector, he has been working on indigenous energy resources development in the country, particularly coal and hydropower. Prior to his assignment to REMB, he served as the director of the Energy Utilization Management Bureau that administers and implements the alternative fuels and energy technologies and energy efficiency and conservation programs of the DOE.

Recognizing his contributions to nation building, Marasigan was named one of The Outstanding Mapúans in 2010 by the National Association of Mapúa Alumni (NAMA).

He is the current president of NAMA, one of the Institute’s premier alumni associations. One of NAMA’s objectives is to support deserving but financially challenged students of Mapúa. Through its scholarship program, NAMA has been providing financial support to the Institute’s qualified students.

Marasigan said the knowledge and trainings he acquired while he was a Mapúa student were “the very foundation of my career.” He said he learned to face all challenges with courage and to be creative and ingenious. Despite his achievements and successes, he is also in pursuit of lifelong learning because it is what the Institute had instilled in him.

When asked to give an advice to Mapúa students, he said: “Create your dreams, what you want to be, and put your dreams to reality.”

Disclaimer: The original article has been archived from its original site (mapua.edu.ph) and is no longer viewable. The story was originally published on December 4, 2012, written by David Joseph C. Gonzales for the Corporate Communications Office of Mapúa Institute of Technology (now known as Mapúa University). Original source: http://mapua.edu.ph/News/Default.aspx?newsID=662&Month=12&Year=2012