“As of now, here in Mindanao, the demand for EVs is slowly rising because the law was just signed in 2022. Hopefully, with the roadmap to be released by the Department, we may increase the demand for EVs,” said Engr. Adrian Mel Delola, a science research specialist at DOE-Mindanao.

Delola shared that they are currently undertaking some mechanisms outlined in the CREVI and the EVIDA laws to boost the demand for EVs in Mindanao. Among these is the development of charging stations across Mindanao.

At present, based on the agency’s EV charging station locator (https://www.evindustry.ph), there are already four EV charging stations in Mindanao.

“Dili man ingon daghan compared sa Luzon and Visayas, but sa karon diri lang sa mga key cities in Mindanao (It’s not much compared to Luzon and Visayas, but as of now, it’s only found in key cities in Mindanao),” he added.

In terms of type, Delola said that most of these EVs in Mindanao are hybrids, or EVs that are powered by both electricity and fuel.

He admitted, though, that Mindanao currently has a limited number of EV dealers. Most of the EV units are shipped from Metro Manila.

Although there are incentives given to EV dealers or suppliers in terms of manufacturing and importation, as outlined in the EVIDA law, they are yet to attract more EV dealers in Mindanao.

Delola has called on the public to be open-minded on this kind of venture, saying, “Para pod ni sa atoa tanan para pod ni to shift to a more modern mode of transportation. Para naa pod tay alternative source of energy, especially sa atoang transport (This is for all of us anyways, for us to shift to a more modern mode of transportation. So we have an alternative source of energy, especially for our transport).”

He emphasized that EVs are not only environmentally beneficial but also have “lower running costs and lower maintenance costs.”

As of 2022, the Land Transportation Office data showed that there are a total of 9,666 EVs registered in the entire Philippines, he added.