Wazzup Pilipinas!?
Sta. Mesa, Manila — On August 14, 2025, inside the modest halls of the COC AVR at PUP’s Mass Communication Building, a powerful question reverberated through the room: In the race toward a so-called “Just Energy Transition,” who truly benefits — and who pays the price?
The forum, organized by Kuryente.org, Blue Earth Defense Philippines, Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE), and the Green Party of the Philippines (GPP), was more than a discussion. It was a reckoning. With government pledges to generate 35% of power from renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040, the transition is portrayed as a beacon of climate hope. Yet as the dialogue unfolded, it became clear that beneath the promise lies a tangled web of unanswered questions, unresolved risks, and voices that refuse to be silenced.
The Dilemma of Renewable Energy
For many, the words solar, wind, hydro evoke images of a cleaner, brighter future. But as NGOs and community advocates pointed out, the story is not so simple. The NGO for Fisheries Reform sounded the alarm: a flood of offshore wind project applications threatens not only marine biodiversity but also the very livelihoods of fisherfolk who rely on coastal ecosystems for survival.
Blue Earth Defense Philippines echoed this concern, questioning the equity of the transition itself. “If energy expansion primarily fuels industrial demand, where does that leave the ordinary consumer?” they asked. Worse, the hunger for renewable technology could ignite another environmental crisis: the reckless extraction of rare-earth minerals both on land and at sea. The so-called “green solution” could very well repeat the same destructive cycles of resource exploitation, merely under a different banner.
The Nuclear Debate
In a rare but striking intervention, Alpas Pinas pushed forward the controversial alternative: nuclear energy. Armed with studies and data, the group argued that nuclear could be the key to reliable, large-scale power generation — a solution that avoids the intermittency of solar and wind. While critics fear safety risks, Alpas Pinas insisted that dismissing nuclear entirely is a mistake the Philippines cannot afford, especially as demand surges and brownouts loom as a constant threat.
Circular Economy and Decentralization
Yet energy is not only about production; it is also about consumption and waste. The Bayanihan Para sa Kalikasan Movement, Inc. championed the idea of a circular economy — a system designed to reduce waste and maximize resources, weaving sustainability directly into economic growth. This vision counters the linear “produce, use, dispose” model that has fueled environmental degradation for decades.
Meanwhile, the Network for Community-Centered Renewable Energy Advocates Inc. emphasized another path: decentralization. They argued that true energy justice cannot be dictated from boardrooms or foreign investors. Instead, communities must manage and share power equitably — energy should flow not just through grids, but through the lifeblood of participatory governance.
The Consumer’s Burden
At the heart of the forum, one reality remained undeniable: electricity consumers — ordinary Filipinos — are caught in the crossfire of high costs, unreliable service, and an uncertain transition. As Kuryente.Org highlighted, a “just” energy transition cannot be defined solely by carbon reduction targets. It must address affordability, accessibility, and accountability. Otherwise, the very people who are supposed to be protected will remain in the dark, paying higher bills while corporations and industries reap the rewards.
Toward a Truly Just Transition
The forum ended not with consensus but with clarity: a Just Energy Transition is not just a technical or economic issue. It is deeply political, profoundly social, and inherently moral. To be just, it must be transparent, community-centered, and accountable. To be just, it must not sacrifice fisherfolk for wind farms, nor displace communities for rare-earth mining. To be just, it must illuminate homes as much as it powers factories.
The Philippine government’s targets may look impressive on paper, but as the voices in Sta. Mesa reminded us, numbers mean nothing if the people remain powerless in shaping the transition.
And so the challenge remains: Will the country’s energy future be written by corporations and policymakers alone, or will it be forged with the people — the consumers, the communities, the voiceless — at its core?
For now, the debate burns on. But as the lights flicker across homes in the archipelago, the urgency for answers grows brighter — and time, like energy, is running out.
Ross Flores Del Rosario , Founder of WazzupPilipinas.com and External Vice President of GPP, was there on a dual role - as an environmental advocate and a media practitioner
"A Just Energy Transition is not just about shifting from coal to solar—it’s about shifting power back to the people. We cannot let profit-driven agendas dictate our nation’s energy future while Filipino households drown in high electricity costs and climate risks. On August 14, we gather not just to talk, but to demand: affordable, sustainable, and people-centered energy for all."
— Ross Flores Del Rosario, External Vice President, Green Party of the Philippines
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Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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