Ahead of 2025 SONA, Consumer Group Demands Real Action and Accountability from President Marcos on Energy Crisis

 

                                             Photo from DOE FB page

Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) urges concrete solutions, decisive leadership beyond promises

July 28. 2025, Manila, Philippines – With another State of the Nation Address (SONA) on the horizon, consumer advocacy group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) calls on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to move past recycled assurances and deliver concrete solutions to the country’s deepening energy crisis.

“Another year, another SONA—Filipinos have grown weary of hearing repeated promises of affordable electricity, stable power supply, and improved infrastructure without experiencing tangible results,” said PARE Chief Advocate Officer Nic Satur Jr. “President Marcos must now demonstrate genuine accountability and decisive leadership to solve the longstanding problems plaguing our energy sector.”

PARE highlighted the persistent gap between President Marcos’ ambitious energy commitments—such as improved power transmission infrastructure, universal electrification by 2028, and increased renewable energy targets—and the realities on the ground. Consumers continue to suffer escalating electricity prices, grid instability, and widespread power outages largely due to delayed projects by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and inefficiencies in the energy sector.

“It’s high time President Marcos holds NGCP accountable for long project delays,” Satur stressed. “Critical transmission infrastructure must no longer be held hostage by delays that burden consumers nationwide.”

PARE also called attention to the National Electrification Administration’s (NEA) quarterly Compliance Reports, which classify Electric Cooperatives (ECs) based on seven key performance indicators. While NEA reports suggest compliance and efficiency, grassroots experiences often tell a different story.

“For instance, Batangas Electric Cooperative (BATELEC II), Surigao del Sur II Cooperative, Inc. (SURSECO II), Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative ORMECO, Province of Siquijor Electric Cooperative (PROSIELCO) to name a few,  consistently meets NEA’s compliance criteria, yet consumers suffer frequent brownouts and higher electricity rates compared to neighboring municipalities,” Satur pointed out. “We urge President Marcos to critically review NEA’s evaluation standards and ensure they accurately reflect consumer realities—not just bureaucratic metrics.”

The advocacy group further highlighted the ongoing chaos at the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), emphasizing the urgency of stable, effective leadership at the regulatory level.

“President Marcos must swiftly resolve the leadership gaps at ERC, provide clear policy direction, and lower electricity prices by reducing our dangerous dependence on imported fossil fuels like diesel and coal,” said Satur. “Our vulnerability to global price shocks can only be mitigated by aggressive diversification into renewables and indigenous energy.”

PARE also stressed the urgency of restructuring excessive taxation on electricity and addressing unfair pass-on charges such as systems losses, emphasizing that these costs must be treated as business risks rather than consumer burdens.

“Consumers already face heavy inflationary pressures. It’s unjust that utilities pass business risks onto the public. It’s time to prioritize consumer welfare, not corporate profit margins,” Satur added.

PARE believes a progressive and consumer-centered energy sector is achievable through genuine leadership, effective policy implementation, and strict regulatory oversight.

“President Marcos, Filipinos expect more than words this SONA—we expect results. The Filipino people deserve affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, and we demand accountability from those entrusted to deliver it,” Satur concluded.

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Green Party of the Philippines Issues Urgent Call to Action: Declare a National Climate Emergency Now!

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

As the thunder of floodwaters crashes through the streets of our nation, drowning not only homes but hope, the Green Party of the Philippines rises with a defiant roar—calling for nothing less than a revolutionary shift in national priorities.

Every year, Filipinos gather before their screens and radios to hear the President deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA)—a moment meant to lay out the vision for the country’s future. But year after year, the Green Party notes a glaring omission: the environment is barely a footnote in the national narrative. At best, it is treated as a side issue. At worst, it is ignored until disasters force it into headlines.

Enough is enough.

In the wake of devastating floods that submerged towns and cities this July—despite the billions poured into flood control projects—the Green Party of the Philippines has issued a powerful and impassioned statement: “It is time for the President to declare a National Climate Emergency.”

The Farce of Flood Control

While photos of submerged vehicles and displaced families flooded social media, what remained shockingly absent was accountability. Where did the billions go? The projects, if present at all, were either poorly designed, broken, or entirely ineffective. Infrastructure meant to save lives has instead become symbols of government failure and complacency.

“The planet is not angry. It is exhausted,” the Green Party emphasized. “The earth is breaking beneath our feet not because it wants to, but because we refused to listen.”

A Five-Point National Agenda for Environmental Survival

The Green Party’s statement is more than just a critique. It is a blueprint. A national rescue plan. A five-point call to arms that outlines urgent, strategic action steps to confront the worsening climate and environmental crisis:

Declare a National Climate Emergency

The President must publicly and officially acknowledge the scale and severity of the crisis. This declaration should trigger an all-of-government response, prioritizing environmental resilience at every level.

Pass the Climate Emergency Act

Beyond symbolic gestures, the country needs a comprehensive legal framework mandating budget allocations, agency responsibilities, and accountability mechanisms that respond to the climate emergency with the urgency it deserves.

Reform the DENR Mandate

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources must be restructured to put protection, preservation, and promotion of the environment at the core of its mission—not simply balancing economic interests.

Commit to a Just Energy Transition

The shift to renewable energy must be swift, inclusive, and equitable. This means moving away from fossil fuels while ensuring that affected workers and communities are not left behind.

Implement Sustainable Storm Water Management

The country needs modern, nature-based flood management systems that integrate green infrastructure like permeable pavements, retention ponds, rain gardens, and urban wetlands—built not just to drain, but to protect and regenerate.

The Time for Politeness Has Passed

This is not simply a press release. It is a national warning. The Green Party of the Philippines is rallying all concerned citizens, organizations, and public officials to join them in demanding immediate action. They urge everyone to go beyond social media outrage and actively support policies that address the root causes of our environmental collapse.

“We are not being political—we are being responsible,” the Green Party stated. “To ignore this crisis is to gamble away our children’s future. There is no economy on a dead planet. There is no progress in a sinking archipelago.”

Standing With Nature, Fighting for the Future

As floodwaters recede, they leave behind more than mud—they leave a mark on our national conscience. Will we forget, as we often do, once the skies clear? Or will this be the turning point, the year when the Filipino people—led by environmental champions like the Green Party—finally rise to meet the greatest challenge of our time?

Let this be the year that the SONA includes not just words of hope, but acts of courage—not just figures on growth, but plans for survival.

For the planet. For the people. For the Philippines.

Para sa kalikasan,

Green Party of the Philippines

Green Party of the Philippines Official Statement - SONA 2025

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Taun-taon ay nagbibigay ng Ulat sa Bayan (State of the Nation Address) o SONA ang Pangulo. Sa napakaraming SONA na ito ay tila hindi kasama sa prayoridad ang kalikasan at nababanggit lamang bilang isang maliit na bahagi ng ating problema sa Pilipinas. 

Sa nagdaang linggo ay nakita natin ang pangangalit ng kalikasan na ipinakita sa mga nakakalunod na baha. Sa kabila ng bilyon-bilyong ginastos sa mga flood control projects ay nagmukha itong katawa-tawa at non-existent dahil bagama't meron ay kung hindi sira ay ineffective ang mga ito. 

Hindi na normal ang mga kondisyong ating kinakaharap sa gitna ng krisis sa klima.

Panawagan ng Green Party of the Philippines ang mga sumusunod:

1. Pagdelkara ng Pangulo ng isang "National Climate Emergency." 

2. Pagpasa ng batas na may kinalaman sa emergency na ito o ng isang Climate Emergency Act.

3. Pagsasaayos ng mandato ng Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) upang ang pangunahing tungkulin nito ay protektahan, pangalagaan, at itaguyod ang kalikasan. 

4. Pagkakaroon ng malinaw na pamantayan patungo sa renewable energy sa pamamagitan ng isang Just Energy Transition. 

5. Pagtataguyod ng Sustainable Storm Water Management bilang solusyon sa problema sa pagbaha.

6. Ang isaalang-alang ang pag-atas sa National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) at mga Local Government Units (LGUs) na aktibong bigyang kapangyarihan ang mga komunidad sa pamamagitan ng patuloy na edukasyon, pagsasanay, at pagsasama ng mga sumusunod sa mga pambansang programa sa pagpapaunlad at pagiging matatag:

- Komprehensibong edukasyon ng komunidad hinggil sa pagbabago ng klima at ang direkta nitong epekto sa ating kapaligiran at kabuhayan;

- Sapilitan at praktikal na pagsasanay sa wastong paghihiwalay ng basura at pamamahala ng solid waste sa antas ng barangay;

- Mga programa sa paghahanda sa kalamidad na nakabatay sa komunidad upang bigyan ang mga mamamayan ng kaalaman at kasanayan na harapin at tumugon nang epektibo sa matinding kaganapan ng panahon at mga kalamidad.

7. Pagsusulong ng "Circular Economy" sa buong Pilipinas at pagdeklara nito bilang polisiya ng estado.

8. Pagpapatupad ng mas mahigpit na environmental monitoring and enforcement laws. Hindi lang dapat umiiral sa papel ang batas, aksyon dapat!

9. Pagbuwag sa mga ugnayan ng gobyerno sa mga pribadong korporasyon na nakasisira lang sa kalikasan. Labanan ang greenwashing at isulong ang tunay na Green Economy

10. Pagkilala at pagprotekta sa kapakanan ng mga environmental defenders.

Upang matiyak ang integridad, kahusayan, at pagiging epektibo ng mga proyekto ng pamahalaan, nananawagan kami para sa mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng mga panukala sa pananagutan sa lahat ng yugto ng implementasyon ng proyekto—lalo na sa mga ahensyang direktang responsable sa pagpapaunlad ng imprastraktura, pampublikong kalusugan, at pangangalaga sa kapaligiran.

Ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno at ang kanilang mga kasosyong pribadong negosyo at/o organisasyon ay dapat managot sa kalidad, pagiging nasa oras, at pagpapanatili ng kanilang mga programa at proyekto. Sa mga kaso ng kapabayaan, maling paggamit ng pondo ng bayan, o pagkabigong makamit ang itinakdang pamantayan at takdang panahon, nararapat na magpataw ng kaukulang mga parusa o penalidad—maging ito man ay administratibo, sibil, o kriminal ang uri.

Ito ang aming kolektibong panawagan sa ating pangulo upang matugunan na natin ang pinakamalaking problema na ating kinakaharap ang Krisis Pangklima at Pangkalikasan. 

Para sa kalikasan, 

Green Party of the Philippines