The Department of Energy (DOE) has turned over three Mobile Energy System (MES) units to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), reinforcing the country’s energy resilience and disaster response capabilities.

The turnover ceremony, held on July 29 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, was conducted in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Energy Secure Philippines and the Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI). It included an operations and maintenance training session to equip AFP personnel with the technical skills needed to operate and maintain the MES units.

Each MES unit is a 20-foot mobile trailer powered by solar energy, fitted with 9.18 kilowatts-peak (kWp) of solar panels, a 60-kilovolt-ampere (kVA) hybrid inverter, and 102.4 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of battery storage. These systems are capable of providing off-grid electricity to key facilities such as command centers and hospitals, especially within disaster-affected or remote areas.

DOE Undersecretary and Task Force on Energy Resiliency Chairperson Felix William B. Fuentebella led the turnover and emphasized the MES as a “force multiplier” that supports mission-critical operations and addresses the President’s call for a more resilient and secure energy infrastructure.

The MES units were received by Brigadier General Armand M. Arevalo on behalf of AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner Jr. According to the DOE, the MES units have already been deployed to support power needs in typhoon-hit areas in Cagayan and remote islands in Palawan, in places such as Pag-asa and Balabac.

“These systems are more than equipment- they are part of a long-term strategy for energy resiliency. Their success depends on the skill and readiness of our personnel,” Fuentebella noted.

The initiative highlights the growing collaboration between the DOE and the AFP in advancing national security and sustaining reliable energy in high-risk or underdeveloped areas.

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