I.

Introduction
As the condition of our climate continues to decline, various efforts coming from
different countries have been made to lessen the effects of climate change on our
environment. Movements such as the Paris Agreement created by the United Nations aims
to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to be able to limit the global temperature at a
specific level and to strengthen the ability of the countries involved in dealing with the
different effects of climate change through helping developing countries to achieve their
each and own climate goals. The Kyoto Protocol is another agreement made by the United
Nations that concerns with the effects of climate change on our environment. This
agreement focuses on reducing the emission of greenhouse gases like Methane and Carbon
Dioxide by setting emission reduction targets to stabilize and monitor the amount of
greenhouse gases emitted before it harms the climate system.
As mentioned, greenhouse gases play a major role in climate change. It has been
estimated that globally, 36 billion tons of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere with China
and the United States as the leading CO2 emitter contributing around 30% and 16%
respectively. To combat this, several advancements in technologies are now being
developed to reduce the carbon footprint of several countries. In the United States, carbon
emissions dropped by 0.5% or 42 million metric tons in 2017. In comparison, China, which
again has the largest emission of CO2, increased its emissions by 1.6% in 2017 which is
almost three times as much as the US emissions were reduced. The US was able to achieve
such progress in reducing their carbon footprint through lessening the usage of coal and by
relying more on renewable energy.
Climate change puts every country at risk - developing or not as it can impede the
growth and progress of these countries. In the Philippines, climate change has already
significantly affected our economy specifically on the agricultural sector because of weather
changes such as longer El Niño season and having more typhoons experienced every year.
Climate change is also to blame for the stronger typhoons (such as typhoon Yolanda which
caused around 6,300casualties) that are hammering the country on rainy seasons, costing
the government millions to repair damages in infrastructure and agriculture. Furthermore,
global warming which is caused by climate change can cause several low-lying areas at risk
due to the rising sea levels which can increase by up to 4 – 6 meters.

It is for this reason that several implementations are now being done by the
government to reduce the total carbon emissions of the country, by taking advantage of
several renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro to reduce the country’s
reliance on coal and other non-renewable energy sources. In addition, the installation of
renewable energy sources can also help accommodate the growing demand for energy in
highly populated areas. Considering the volume of transportation vehicles in the country,
the government and different private sectors are now working together to create a
complete standard for electric and hybrid vehicles, which are sustainable and eco-friendly
which could alleviate the pollution in highly urbanized areas. Hybrid electric vehicles utilize
both gas-engine and electric motor designed for better fuel economy and environmental-
friendly. In this way, hybrid vehicles are be able to consume lesser fuel resulting in fewer
carbon dioxide emission in the environment. However, given that hybrid vehicles are made
by various car companies, they are made by different mechanical and automotive engineers
therefore not all hybrid vehicles functions the same. There are many different kinds of
hybrid vehicles being used nowadays.

II. Discussion
Hybrid and fully electric cars have seen an increase in popularity in the last few years.
With a 4.7% of global market share and with 4.4 million electric/hybrid cars sold worldwide
during 2018, these vehicles that have electric propulsion system-i.e., vehicles that are run
on electric motors, are yet to be the mainstream personal vehicle of choice. Hybrid cars are
a cross of both electric and gasoline-powered cars with significantly better mileage
compared to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles while also reducing the carbon emission
of the vehicle at the same time. Generally, what makes it efficient and eco-friendly is its
ability to capture the energy usually lost when brakes are applied and its ability to charge
the batteries at the same time while it is in motion. Moreover, hybrid vehicles have
variations on how and when the electric motors will be applied to run the vehicle. Three
types of hybrid cars are available for the general public to avail, they are as follows: series
hybrid, parallel hybrid, and mild hybrid. Series hybrid tends to be the most expensive
among the three due to the size of the battery since the electric motor is what keeps the car
running. It only utilizes its gasoline engine at a specific distance on a single trip (usually
greater than 80 kilometres). Parallel hybrids, on the other hand, uses both the gasoline and
electric motor simultaneously, using the fuel to run the engine while making use of the
generator to charge its battery. Lastly, mild hybrids mainly use its gas engine to keep the car
running. it only operates its electric engine when the vehicle demands more power or if it is
stationary. The engine shuts down to reduce carbon emission and makes use of the battery
to start the engine once it begins accelerating.
Given the advantages of hybrid vehicles, a significant percentage of drivers still tend to
opt for conventional gasoline vehicles due to cost and accessibility to different services.
Most vehicles that solely uses conventional engines are still significantly faster compared to
hybrid cars making them much preferable for specific groups of consumers. Altough
Improving the transportation system in the Philippines is of the utmost importance to
hasten the economic development of the country. Several years ago, the Philippines, along
with other countries, adapted transportation models that would help accommodate the
rising number of cars and other motorized vehicles in the country due to the increase of
demand for the transportation of both passengers and goods (Goda, 2009). As a result, the
government has prioritized in constructing roads, bridges, and highways to make room for
the increasing volume of the said vehicles. Consequently, it has led to the poor
development of mass public transport system such as trains and buses due to the public
favouring private motorized vehicles. In 2018, a total of 11.6 million motor vehicles were
licensed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) which is an increase of almost 1.2 million
from 2017. With 69% of the carbon emissions in the country contributed by motorized
vehicles, several implementations have been pushed through by the government including
the introduction of e-vehicles such as e-jeepneys and e-trikes as a mode of public
transportation in different cities across densely populated areas to lessen the total carbon
emissions of vehicles.
In the context of the Philippines, vehicles with electric propulsion system are already
available for consumers to avail. In line with the global movement to reduce carbon
emissions, different laws have been enacted in the country including Executive Order 488 (s.
2006) which aims to support the manufacturing of e-vehicles in the country. An increase of
e-vehicles is evident especially on public utility vehicles (PUVs) with e-jeepneys and e-trikes
as the norm in private areas such as resorts, campuses, and even local government units
purchasing e-vehicles. Despite the advocacies that are pushed through by several car
manufacturing companies to promote e-vehicles to the public, only a total of 4,362
electrified vehicles (including hybrid vehicles) are registered according to the Department of
Trade and Industry with only 19 charging stations available distributed in select parts of the
country (Valdez, 2019). In order to persuade the public in purchasing e-vehicles, Executive
Order No. 488 has been promulgated by the government which imposes zero tariffs on the
parts and components used in assembling eco-friendly vehicles including hybrid and electric
vehicles. Several bills are also being pushed through that provides incentives for both
importers and users of hybrid and electric vehicles including exemption from excise taxes
and value-added tax for spare parts and charging stations which are required for increasing
the accessibility of electric vehicles. Furthermore, owners are also given the privilege to be
exempted from the number coding scheme implemented in Metro Manila and are also
given priority in the registration and issuance of plate numbers.Given these points,
consumers who are eyeing to purchase new vehicles should consider opting for hybrid and
electric cars as their option. Not only do they get to benefit with the said privileges, but they
also get to greatly contribute in lessening the harmful gases that are harming the
environment. As the year of 2019 draws to a close, Electric Vehicles (both all electric and
hybrids) have again proved to be a viable option for consumers taking 2.2% of the global
vehicle market as opposed to the 2% market share from 2018. Automakers such as Ford,
Nissan, and Toyota are to be given credit for raising awareness and making electric vehicles
a more accessible choice for the public.
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