MANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines grapples with a national energy emergency, the Caritas Philippines and other faith-based environmental groups warned the government on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, against using the crisis as a justification for a “heavier reliance” on coal-fired power plants.
The warning comes after the administration signaled a potential temporary lifting of the moratorium on new coal plants to stabilize the grid, which has been severely strained by the Middle East-driven oil supply crunch and high domestic demand.
Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, vice president of Caritas Philippines and a known environmental advocate, described the pivot back to coal as a “short-sighted and moral failure.”
- The Environmental Cost: The group argued that increasing coal utilization would undo years of progress in the country’s transition to renewable energy and exacerbate the health issues of communities living near power hubs.
- The “Energy Emergency” Trap: Church leaders expressed concern that the State of National Energy Emergency declared on March 24 might be used to bypass environmental safeguards and fast-track “dirty energy” projects.
- Climate Commitments: The groups reminded the government of its international commitments to the Paris Agreement, noting that the Philippines is one of the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world.
Rather than doubling down on fossil fuels, the coalition urged the government to accelerate the deployment of decentralized renewable energy systems:
- Solar and Wind Scaling: Fast-tracking the approval of utility-scale solar and wind farms currently in the pipeline.
- Grid Modernization: Investing in battery energy storage systems (BESS) to handle the intermittency of renewables.
- Community-Based Power: Promoting rooftop solar for households and small businesses to reduce the load on the national grid.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has maintained that all options are on the table to prevent widespread brownouts, which could further cripple the economy. However, Secretary Sharon Garin previously noted that the “renewables-first” policy remains the long-term goal, and any move toward coal would be a “last resort” strictly for grid stability.
The Church group emphasized that the poorest Filipinos are hit twice by the crisis: first by the rising cost of electricity and second by the environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel extraction and combustion.
“We cannot solve a crisis by fueling another one—the climate crisis,” Bishop Alminaza said. “Our transition must be just, green, and immediate.”