Electric vehicle (EV) sales this year will continue growing thanks to ongoing public and private initiatives — including putting up support infrastructure and enacting policies that back the industry’s growth — the head of the country’s main EV group said.
“Are EVs finally taking off? Without a doubt,” Rommel T. Juan, president of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, told participants of the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit in Pasay City.
Mr. Juan said, based on a study by consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, global electric car sales last year exceeded the one million mark, ending the year with 1.2 million units sold. Battery electric vehicle made up the majority of sales.
This year, global sales are expected to reach 1.6 million units, and the number of public charging stations will reach 100,000, he said, citing the study.
“There are now 3.3 million electric cars in use around the world. China and Europe together make up about 75% of the global EV market,” he said.
Among the private firms supporting the growth of electric vehicles in the country is Unioil Petroleum Philippines, Inc., which last month launched its second electric vehicle charging station in Metro Manila, with plans for 10 more to be put up before the end of the year.
In the public sector, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian, Senate energy committee chairman, said his office is currently finalizing legislation to promote the entire e-vehicle ecosystem, “from charging stations, to the usage, all the way to importation and even manufacture of e-vehicles in our country.”
According to Mr. Gatchalian, demand for these vehicles will see major growth as soon as they become more affordable, citing studies that show e-vehicle prices matching those of traditional cars by 2025. — Victor Saulon

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has certified the Universal Healthcare Bill as an urgent measure, presidential spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said on Tuesday.
“I am very pleased to announce that our pet bill when we were in Congress, Universal Health Care, which we sponsored and defended in the lower house was certified urgent by the President,” he said at a press briefing in Indang, Cavity.
The Universal Healthcare Bill provides for the automatic inclusion of all Filipinos under the National Health Insurance Program of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).
The proposed measure remained pending at the Senate committee level while its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading last September 2017.
It has been identified as among the priority bills of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
A bill certified urgent by the President will allow Congress to pass the proposed measure on second reading and third reading on the same day.
In a statement, Senator Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on health, vowed to pass the measure when Congress resumes session on July 23.
“I view universal health care as an integral to our anti-poverty drive,” he said. “Ensuring good health for Filipinos is crucial to economic development as because ensuring the well-being of all Filipinos means that they can be more productive, which further means they can better overcome poverty.” — Camille Aguinaldo

Vice President Leni G. Robredo on Tuesday said she is ready to take on the role as the leader of the opposition groups planning to unite for the upcoming 2019 midterm elections.
At a press briefing in Quezon City, Ms. Robredo, who also chairs the Liberal Party, said she has been an opposition leader for quite some time, citing the instances where she voiced her statements against the policies of the Duterte administration. This time, she said she wants to be the voice of the opposition groups united in dissent.
“Matagal naman na tinake-on ko yung role na yun.” Ms. Robredo said. “Pero this time dati kasi iba-ibang grupo ang gumagalaw… Maraming grupo pareho ang paniniwala, grupo na pareho naman yung issues na gustong salungatin pero dahil hindi nag-uusap-usap hindi napapag-isa ‘yung boses.
“At yun yung role na gusto ko itake na siguraduhin na yung mga boses nagkakaisa ay lalong mapagisa para lalong mapakinggang,” she said. “Siguraduhin yung mensahe na gustong ipaabot, mas maintindihan.”
“Maraming mga kababayan nagsasabi sa akin na kailangan ng leader. Parati ko sinasabi yung sa atin, obligasyon natin lahat na ipaabot yung saloobin natin, obligasyon nating sumalungat kapag kailangan sumalungat,” she added.
“Pero it is becoming apparent na mas malakas loob ng ibang magboses pag merong sinasandalang grupo na pareho yung paniniwala sa kanya,” Ms. Robredo said. “At yun yung role ko na pag-isahin yung mga boses na yun.”
Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, earlier said he hoped to build a coalition of groups and individuals united against the policies of the Duterte administration, especially on the issues of extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses.
He said the “resistance coalition’s” bets for the 2019 senatorial election included Senator Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo R. Tanada III, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) chairman Jose Manuel I. Diokno, Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary C. Alejano, and former Akbayan partylist Rep. Ibarra M. Gutierrez. — Camille Aguinaldo