
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is offering a six-month energy transition story grant entitled the Jaime Espina Klima Correspondents Fellowship, in honor of the late journalist and media workers’ advocate Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Espina.
The Fellowship invites the participation of full-time journalists and freelancers in the Philippines, with preference to those working in the provinces. It will provide space for the most compelling local energy transition stories, particularly narratives that focus on transformational challenges, and those which go beyond vulnerability and dwell on agency and hope.
This story grant will support the research, production, and publication of stories that surface compelling but under-reported narratives surrounding the energy transition and low carbon resilient development challenges and opportunities through an online mentorship program that will run from June to November 2022.

KLIMA News and Updates
[Klima Reports] Raising the Bar: Part 1 – Benguet’s Renewable Energy Quest for Stable Power Source
What are the potentials and challenges in shifting to renewable energy, particularly hydropower, in order to power up Benguet? Our Klima Fellows Carl Taawan and Sam Bautista explore the realities of venturing into hydropower in the province in this two-part story in the Highland Tribune.
[Klima Reports] Regreening Mindanao grid
In the shift to renewables, all hands should be on-deck, from government actors, private stakeholders, the academe, and the community. In this two-part story, our Klima Fellows Germelina Lacorte and Barry Ohaylan speak with academics and engineers from the Ateneo de Davao University to learn about their efforts in greening their university and in extension, Davao City and Mindanao.
[Klima Reports] Solar power lights up, enhances productivity in remote SouthCot IP village
The indigenous Manobo community in Sitio Blit in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato used to be shrouded in darkness, until a government project called “tala” (star) lit up their homes using solar power. This special report by Bong Sarmiento and Carolyn Arguillas, our Klima Fellows from Mindanews, takes us to this foggy village in Mindanao, where households benefit from renewable energy.
[Klima Reports] Jeepney modernization’s rushed timeline neglects drivers’ woes
The transport sector is one of the major contributors to carbon emissions. As the world moves towards renewable energy sources, how do we ensure a just transition for the public transport sector in the Philippines? Our Klima Fellows Mavic Conde and Ronalyn Olea from Bulatlat produced a two-part report exploring the government’s jeepney modernization program, which envisions greener public transport.
[Klima Reports] Solar empowers Pala’wan indigenous women to save basketry tradition, natural forest
In the mountainous Sitio Kamantian in Palawan province, the indigenous Pala’wan women turn to solar power not only to light up their community, but to save their long tradition to weave baskets, traditionally called “tingkep.” This story by Keith Anthony Fabro and Jee Geronimo, our Klima Fellows from Rappler, explores how renewable energy lights up an indigenous village, empowers women to uphold their traditions, and helps save the natural forests.
[Klima Reports] [S]ILAW
What lessons can we learn from a far-flung community in northern Cordillera on securing power from renewable energy sources? Raymund Villanueva and Rosemarie Alcaraz, our Klima Fellows from Kodao Productions, traveled to Apayao to document a small village’s journey and experiences with micro-hydropower.