A Chinese firm has submitted a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of a plant that will manufacture public utility electric vehicles in Bacolod City, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Monday, February 20.
The city government is reviewing the MOU sent by Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co., Benitez said.
The trend now is for vehicles to run on electricity, Bacolod might be the first local government in the Philippines to embrace this concept, he said.
The MOU sent by Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. is an offshoot of his meeting with its executives during President Ferdinand Marcos’ state visit to China, Benitez said.
The MOU is in connection with the firm’s needing the assistance of the city government for the establishment of charging stations for the electric vehicles, Benitez said.
One of their proposals is to preserve the cultural identity of public utility vehicles in the Philippines in the design of the electric vehicles, Benitez said.
“If this pushes through, we will have environment friendly vehicles as part of our public transport, more jobs will be open for Bacolodnons and we will not lose our identity as Filipinos because these vehicles will resemble the design of our ‘sarao’ jeepneys,” Benitez said.
They are sending test vehicles to Bacolod, and once it is proven that the electric vehicles will be beneficial to local stakeholders then we can help in making it a reality, he added.
They are saying it is cheaper for vehicles to run on electricity, which will also no longer need oil and other consumables used by traditional vehicles, he said.
They are eyeing a location for the manufacturing plant but he cannot disclose where it is as the value of the property could go up, Benitez said.*