Murang Kuryente party-list Rep. Atty. Art Yap is calling for more training of photovoltaic (PV) panel installers, also known as solar panel installers, to meet the demand expected once the Sariling Kuryente Act becomes law.
Yap said he expects a surge in demand for installers across the country, not just in Bohol, because the law will make PV installation accessible and affordable to ordinary Filipinos.
He said the measure will help ease rising electricity costs for households by promoting solar panels.
Yap said the Social Security System (SSS), PAG-IBIG Fund and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will soon be required to set aside funds for loans to members who want to install PV systems in their homes.
Although the bill is still being drafted, he said, the three agencies have already launched their own loan programs for such installations.
He said he has coordinated with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) on scholarships and trainers’ training for PV installers, and has named Eric Nuez as point person for the program.
Details on how to apply for the scholarships will be announced soon.
Yap also plans to work with local schools and community colleges to host the training, and urged interested residents to monitor his Facebook page for scholarship details.
He said the Sariling Kuryente Act will help address the severe power shortage in the Visayas, which has triggered red and yellow alerts.
The shortage is more pronounced in Negros Occidental than in Bohol, he said, with the former suffering frequent blackouts because of low supply.
Negros tourism gets boost from cheaper food, salaried workers, Yap says.
Yap also said Negros Occidental has successfully made food part of its tourism offerings, making its industry more competitive and sustainable.
Tourism in Negros is cheaper, he said, because most players are salaried employees rather than workers chasing commissions on every transaction.
He added that food in Negros costs less than in Bohol, a result of supply and demand.
Negros has a robust agriculture sector that produces plenty of food, especially seafood, while the same items in Bohol are prohibitively expensive.
Yap said Bohol must produce more food to keep prices down while demand remains steady, so that the province is no longer known for costly food.
He cited several food items that are cheap in Negros but sold at a premium in Bohol, even though they are essentially the same products.
On attractions, Yap said Bohol has the advantage over Negros, but lamented that domestic tourists are skipping Bohol for Negros.
In the first half of 2026, Negros received 2 million tourists, most of them local, while Bohol’s arrivals are declining, he said.