FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 27, 2000

Contact: Kim Walz

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Agency for International Development entered into an agreement today to provide $5 million to the Philippines to improve energy programs in that country.

In a signing ceremony today at Blair House, USAID Administrator J. Brady Anderson, U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, and Philippines Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui signed a "record of agreement" leading to a $5 million USAID grant to reduce global climate change.

The assistance will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging the use of clean fuels, and promotion of more efficient power generation, transmission and distribution.

The agreement is also part of a Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) with the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory to provide technical assistance to the Philippines.

USAID has already provided the Philippines with a total of $8,130,000 in grant funds under the Global Climate Change Mitigation Program from 1996 to 1999. The program emphasizes privatization of the National Power Corporation (NPC) and corresponding policy changes. Effective restructuring will mean increased competition and efficiency, in turn bringing lower electricity rates for consumers as well as lowered greenhouse gas emissions.

Tiaoqui is part of the official delegation of Philippine President Estrada, who is in Washington to meet with President Clinton.

USAID is the U.S. government agency responsible for worldwide humanitarian and development assistance.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)