The Price of Progress: Filipino Consumers Fight Back Against New "Green" Power Charges

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

In the crosshairs of a global climate crisis and a local economic struggle, a new battle line has been drawn in the Philippine energy sector. As the nation attempts a bold pivot toward renewable energy, the very citizens meant to benefit from this transition are sounding an urgent alarm: they simply cannot afford the cost of the future. 

The Breaking Point

For the average Filipino household, electricity bills are more than just a monthly chore—they are a source of "prolonged burden" and "injustice." It is against this backdrop of high power rates that the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has greenlit the Green Energy Auction Allowance (GEA-All) charge. 

Effective this month, this new line item is designed to fund differential payments for renewable energy plants under the government’s auction program. While ERC Chairperson Francis Juan has defended the measure, consumer advocates argue it is one straw too many for the camel’s back. 

A Double Burden on the People

The GEA-All charge does not arrive in a vacuum. Consumers are already paying a Feed-in Tariff Allowance (FiT-All), a uniform charge intended to support renewable energy development. 

Bas Umali, National Coordinator for the consumer welfare group Kuryente.org, has stepped forward as the voice for the millions of affected families. His plea is simple yet desperate: Defer the charge. 

"We understand the long-term benefits of renewable energy, but right now we consumers are seeking immediate relief," Umali states. "We respectfully ask the ERC to consider deferring the implementation of this measure... in consideration of consumers who are already burdened by high electricity prices." 

The Missing Link: The Just Transition Bill

The core of the conflict lies in the way the transition is being handled. Kuryente.org argues that while the government is quick to implement new charges, it has been slower to provide the necessary legal protections for the poor. 

The organization is calling on lawmakers to stop prioritizing new fees and instead focus on the Just Transition Bill.  This critical piece of legislation is designed to:

Protect consumers from skyrocketing prices during the shift to cleaner energy. 

Ensure fairness so that the "green" revolution isn't funded solely on the backs of those who can least afford it. 

Establish transparency and good governance within the energy industry. 

The Call for Justice

As the GEA-All charge begins to appear on monthly statements, the demand for "immediate and concrete measures" to reduce costs grows louder. For Kuryente.org and the consumers they represent, the energy transition must be more than just a shift in technology—it must be a shift toward humanity and affordability. 

The Filipino people are not against a cleaner planet; they are simply asking for the right to a sustainable future that doesn't cost them their present survival. 

The Battle for the Clouds: Can We Save the Philippine Uplands?

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

High above the bustling, flat palayans of the lowlands lies the true heart of the Philippines—a misty, vertical world of emerald peaks and ancient forests. While many imagine the country as a series of plains, 65% of our land is actually mountainous, serving as the final fortress for iconic species like the Philippine Eagle and the Tamaraw.

But a silent war is being waged in the clouds. As the world’s appetite grows, its forests retreat, replaced by plumes of grey smoke that signal the advance of the plow.

The Scars of Kaingin

For generations, the traditional system of kaingin—slash-and-burn farming—has pockmarked our mountains. Forests are cut and torched to make way for rice, corn, or cassava. Once protected by their sheer inaccessibility, these peaks are now being encroached upon by unregulated agriculture.

The cost of this encroachment is staggering. According to Mariglo Rosaida Laririt of the DENR-BMB, losing these forests means losing nature’s most critical services:

Water Security: Mountains provide the clean water we drink and the irrigation that feeds the plains.

Climate Defense: These forests regulate temperature and act as a natural sponge for flood control.

Biodiversity Loss: Monocropping—planting only one crop like pineapple or coffee—strips the soil of nutrients and destroys the habitats of essential pollinators like bees and butterflies.

The Hidden Danger of Subsidies

In a shocking global revelation, United Nations agencies found that 87% of the USD 540 billion spent on agricultural subsidies are actually harmful to nature and health. In the Philippines, where subsidies averaged PHP 3.36 billion yearly between 2010 and 2015, the money often goes toward chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

While these "external inputs" aim to keep production viable, they create a "chemical romance" with deadly consequences. Fertilizer runoff turns crystal rivers brown, and pesticides indiscriminately kill the very insects needed to grow our food.

A Vision for Sustainable Summits

The tide, however, is beginning to turn. The DENR and Department of Agriculture, in partnership with UNDP-BIOFIN, are pioneering a movement to mainstream Biodiversity-friendly Agricultural Practices (BDFAPs). The goal is a radical reallocation of government funds.

Imagine a future where subsidies don't buy chemicals, but instead support:

Heirloom Grains: Native varieties like the earthy Ulikan or the black Ominio rice are uniquely marketable and found nowhere else on Earth.

Intercropping & Rotation: Moving away from monocultures to diversified ecosystems that restore soil fertility and cushion farmers against price crashes.

Next-Gen Farming: Making agriculture lucrative enough to lure the youth back from call centers to become the new guardians of the land.

The Path Forward

We have 117 million mouths to feed, but we cannot eat the mountains once they are gone. By transforming upland farms into sustainable, agroforestry-based systems, we can generate food without sacrificing the ecological integrity of our islands.

As the mist clears over the Cordilleras, the choice is clear: we can continue to slash and burn, or we can learn to grow in harmony with the heights.

Ferdinand P. Jarin at Darwin P. Plaza, Wagî ng PHP100,000.00 sa KWF Gawad Julian Cruz Balmaseda 2026

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

NAGWAGI ng PHP100,000.00 sa Gawad Balmaseda 2026 ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino si Ferdinand P. Jarin, PhD para sa kaniyang disertasyon sa DLSU-Maynila na pinamagatang “Ang Kalyeng Walang Kamatayan: Ang Paglalandas ni Leoncio P. Deriada sa Panitikan ng Banwa at Bansa” bílang pinakamahusay na disertasyon sa taóng 2026.

 

Matagumpay niyang nailahad sa komprehensibong pamamaraan ang pagpapakilála ng kongkretisasyon at uswag ng panitikang rehiyonal. Tumuon ang pananaliksik na ito sa pag-iral ng panitikan ng Kanlurang Visayas sa kontemporaneong panahon. Pinatunayan niyang sa pamamagitan ng pagtatanghal ng ilang pilíng akda ni Leoncio P. Deriada, malinaw na maitatampok ang sensibilidad at konsepto ng pagkabansa. Patúloy nitóng hinahawan ang landas ng pagdurugtong at pag-aagapay ng panitikang rehiyonal at panitikang pambansa.

 

Samantála, nagwagi rin si Darwin P. Plaza ng PHP100,000.00 para sa kaniyang tesis masterado sa Ateneo De Naga University na pinamagatang “Gakot at Paglaban sa Kalamidad ng mga Taga-Partido Erya sa Bicol, Pilipinas” bílang pinakamahusay na tesis sa taóng 2026 ng Gawad Julian Cruz Balmaseda.

 

Nakatuon ang pag-aaral sa mga katutubong kaalaman sa paghahanda sa kalamidad ng mga malayò at tabing-dagat na komunidad sa Partido Erya, Bikol.

 

Matagumpay ang nagawang  dokumentasyon na nagpapakita ng isang malinaw na ambag sa pagpapanatili, pagpapaunlad, at pagpapahalaga ng anyo ng kultura at tradisyong sumasalamin sa pagkamalikhain at pagkamaugnayin ng mga taga-Partido sa kanilang lokal na kapaligiran.

 

Malinaw na napunuan niya ang kakulangan o kawalan ng mga pag-aaral tulad ng katutubong paggagakot bílang isang katutubong estratehiyang tumutugon sa panganib ng kapaligiran. Ang saliksik ay maituturing bílang isang akademikong sulatín, mahalagang ambag ang tesis na ito sa pagtuturò ng mga asignaturang Filipino, Kasaysayan at iba pang araling saklaw ang pagpapahalaga at pagkakakilanlan.

Ang Gawad Julian Cruz Balmaseda ay isang gawad para sa pinakamahuhusay na tesis at disertasyon na isinulat gámit ang wikang Filipino para sa mga larang akademiko, lalo na sa agham pangkalikasan, agham panlipunan, at matematika. Layunin ng gawad na ito na hikayatin at palaganapin, sa pamamagitan ng sistema ng mga insentibo ang pagsusulat at publikasyon ng mga akdang orihinal at ambag para sa intelektuwalisasyon at modernisasyon ng Filipino.