From Disclosure to Technical Assistance: How Ormoc City is Building the Foundations for Sustainable Energy Governance

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This case study is linked to our resource guide, Philippines Local Governments Guide: Financing Climate Projects.

Ormoc City is an independent component city in Eastern Visayas, in the Philippines, with a population of 238,545 (as of 2024). It serves as the economic, cultural, and transportation hub of western Leyte, known for its port economy and expansive land area. Located along Ormoc Bay, the city’s rolling plains have enabled rapid urban and industrial growth, and with it, increasing energy demand.

Through CDP reporting and strong participation in the Global Covenant for Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), Ormoc made this growing pressure visible, along with the support needed to manage a sustainable energy transition.

Two main barriers were holding back effective action:

• The city lacked a local energy governance framework, limiting its ability to plan, monitor, and integrate national energy policies into local development planning; and

• City staff had limited technical capacity in energy auditing, planning, and compliance, as well as limited tools for effective monitoring and reporting.

Project overview: Local Energy Code development

To address these barriers, Ormoc identified the development of a Local Energy Code (LEC) as key step towards promoting energy efficiency, conservation, and clean energy.

Technical assistance was especially required for the following key activities:

• Drafting a consultative and locally relevant energy code aligned with the city’s low-carbon, climate-resilient goals;

• Supporting the local governance framework by defining the composition, roles, powers, and functions of members of the Energy Sector Committee that will be included as part of the drafting of the LEC; and

• Enhancing the technical capacity of local officials in energy auditing, planning, and code enforcement.

Through this initiative, Ormoc seeks not only to strengthen institutional mechanisms, but also to foster a culture of sustainability and shared responsibility across the community.

Access to technical assistance

In late 2025, Ormoc city was selected for targeted technical assistance under the GCoM-C40 Joint Partnership program, positioning the city as a front-runner in clean energy governance among local governments in the Philippines.

This technical assistance included:

• Stakeholder consultation workshops for code drafting and policy alignment;

• Technical support for LEC preparation, ensuring integration with national energy plans and mechanisms; and

• Training and development of a practical manual for local officials to strengthen institutional implementation and stakeholder engagement.

Lessons learned

Ormoc’s experience shows how robust city disclosure through CDP-ICEI Track and active participation in city networks can unlock targeted support and real delivery. The technical assistance provided taught many key lessons including:

• Scalability and replication, with the project developing a replicable model for other Philippine cities to pursue similar local energy frameworks;

• Alignment with national priorities, in that the LEC directly supports the national Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, mandating Local Government Units (LGUs) to establish local energy codes and plans; and

• Climate leadership with Ormoc’s active engagement in CDP disclosure and GCoM demonstrating strong local ownership and leadership, translating global commitments into concrete, data-driven local actions.

Next steps

The LEC will be sent to the Local Legislative Council for deliberation, approval and implementation.

Key provisions include:

• Establishing the Energy Sector Committee as the city’s main advisory and coordinating body for energy affairs;

• Creating the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Office (EECO) to oversee policy execution and program delivery; and

• Promoting sustainable transport and energy initiatives, such as electric vehicle adoption, alternative fuels, and clean cooking incentives.

Through the establishment of its Local Energy Code, Ormoc City is charting a pathway toward energy sufficiency, cleaner technologies, and institutional resilience, serving as a leading example for local energy governance in the Philippines.