From bus terminals to provincial hospitals, strategic government facilities in Cebu are being eyed as sites for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations under an ordinance approved on third and final reading by the Provincial Board.
Ordinance No. 004, authored by Board Member Stanley Caminero, seeks to establish the Cebu Provincial Green Mobility Roadmap and EV Charging Network, with the Cebu South Bus Terminal, Cebu North Bus Terminal, and all provincial hospitals among the priority sites.
The Provincial Board approved the measure on third and final reading during its regular session on Monday, Sept. 14.
Aside from charging infrastructure, the ordinance provides for a socialized charging fee system, public-private partnerships, a phased adoption by component cities and municipalities, a Cebu Green Mobility Trust Fund, and an oversight committee that will supervise the program.
“Existing and future Provincial Government facilities shall establish publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations,” a portion of the ordinance reads.
Under Phase I of the ordinance, existing and future provincial government facilities will establish publicly accessible EV charging stations, with high-priority anchor sites identified for public utility vehicles, health services, and frontline public transport.
These include the CSBT, CNBT, and all provincial hospitals managed by the provincial government.
Other potential sites include Capitol compounds, provincial transport terminals, sports complexes, tourism gateways, government motor pools, government-owned parking facilities, provincial educational institutions, and strategic public service centers.
The ordinance also encourages component cities and municipalities to establish at least one publicly accessible EV charging station in a strategic government facility within one year from the ordinance’s effectivity.
However, the provision describes the adoption by component local government units as being “strongly exhorted and encouraged” through their respective Sanggunians, making the Phase II rollout a voluntary and harmonized effort.
P20M initial fund
To support the initial rollout, the measure creates the Cebu Green Mobility Trust Fund, which will finance the installation, maintenance, expansion, and upgrading of charging stations, as well as climate reporting and subsidy programs.
“An initial allocation of Twenty Million (Php 20,000,000.00) Pesos shall serve to jumpstart the establishment of a dual charging station,” the ordinance stated.
An initial allocation of P20 million is proposed to jumpstart the establishment of dual charging stations, including fast direct-current (DC) and standard alternating-current (AC) charging units, at the Capitol Compound, north and south bus terminals, and other suitable areas.
The trust fund may also receive revenues from charging fees, public-private partnership concession fees, national government grants, climate adaptation and environmental grants, carbon credit mechanisms, external financing, and lawful donations.
The ordinance allows four operating models for the charging stations: province-owned, public-private partnership, hybrid concession, and renewable energy integration.
Under the hybrid model, the provincial government may own the infrastructure while allowing qualified private entities to operate and manage the facilities.
Charging rates
The measure also sets different charging arrangements depending on the user.
Private EV owners will be charged the full commercial rate, while provincial government employees will receive a discounted rate of at least 20 percent.
“Private and premium EVs are strictly excluded from free charging incentives,” it added.
Official government vehicles will be allowed free charging, while selected utility electric vehicles, including registered modern public utility vehicles and electric tricycles, may receive free or subsidized charging.
Ambulances, rescue vehicles, fire trucks, and emergency response vehicles will also be allowed free charging.
The measure specifically excludes private and premium EVs from free charging incentives. Public utility vehicles and government units seeking subsidized or free charging under the program will have to register under a proposed Provincial Green Mobility Local Registration System.
The ordinance also creates a permanent Provincial Green Mobility Implementation and Oversight Committee that will oversee the implementation of the program.
The committee will be tasked with drafting the implementing rules and regulations within 90 days from the ordinance’s effectivity, as well as establishing technical and operational guidelines, local EV registration protocols, tariff formulas, and connector specifications.
It will also identify strategic deployment sites; monitor the technical, operational, financial and environmental aspects of the program; recommend tariff adjustments; and coordinate the voluntary adoption of the charging network among component LGUs.
The committee will be composed of representatives from the provincial government, Provincial Board committees, national government agencies, local government leagues, and various resource sectors.
The Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Climate Change Commission (CCC) will be represented in the body, while representatives from the academe, electric utilities, EV industry, transport cooperatives, climate finance institutions, and civil society may serve as resource members.
The Provincial Planning and Development Office will serve as the permanent secretariat, while the committee’s proceedings will remain recommendatory and will be referred to the governor for final approval.
Safety standards, battery disposal
The ordinance also requires EV charging infrastructure to comply with technical, electrical, and fire safety standards.
Charging stations must use standardized connector types and power capacities in accordance with standards promulgated by the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Philippine Standards, while charging infrastructure must comply with the Philippine Electrical Code and Bureau of Fire Protection guidelines for high-voltage DC fast-charging facilities.
For end-of-life EV batteries, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office will be tasked with establishing protocols for recycling and disposal.
Damaged or end-of-life lithium-ion batteries from provincial government-owned EVs must be handled by DENR-accredited hazardous waste treaters.
The ordinance also encourages, and where technically and financially feasible mandates, the integration of renewable energy sources such as solar panel canopies into charging stations to reduce grid dependency.
The measure cites Republic Act No. 11697, or the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, Republic Act No. 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009, and Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code as among its legal bases.
It also aligns the provincial initiative with the 2026 Strategic Investment Priority Plan, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop Act, and several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Under the ordinance, qualified private partners and EV charging station operators may also benefit from streamlined provincial permitting and lease incentives, subject to applicable national rules, while EV charging station operators in Cebu will be required to register with the DOE’s central EV Industry Portal.
The ordinance will take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation or posting as required by law.