ICSC: Luzon and Visayas grid alerts underscore the strong need for a more resilient, distributed power system
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities REACTIVE QUEZON CITY, 17 April 2026 –– The yellow alerts raised over the Luzon and Visayas grids yesterday highlight a recurring vulnerability in the Philippines’ power system: the country’s energy sector remains baseload-centric and relies on large power plants, making the grid more exposed to disruptions that affect Filipino households and businesses across the country. The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) has constantly emphasized that relying heavily on only a few large power plants makes the energy system less flexible and unreliable. Even short-term outages or plants operating below normal capacity [...]
ICSC delves into PHL energy emergency: Renewables are key to transforming country’s energy system from import dependence
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities ANALYSIS QUEZON CITY, 30 March 2026 – The Philippines’ declaration of a national energy emergency under Executive Order No. 110 highlights a long-standing reality that can no longer be ignored: heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels exposes the country to global supply and fuel price volatility. The situation also puts the spotlight on the clear and massive opportunity to transform the energy system for our archipelago with locally driven, fit-for-purpose solutions that optimize the abundance of renewable energy (RE) resources with available technology, building a more affordable, reliable, and secure power system for [...]
ICSC on PHL energy emergency: Resilience must be a long-term anchor, empower LGUs to advance solutions
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities REACTIVE QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2026 – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order (EO) No. 110 yesterday, declaring a state of national energy emergency as impacts of the US-Israel war on Iran threaten the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply. EO 110 adopts the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), the Philippine government’s coordinated response framework. Its implementation will be under the oversight of the UPLIFT Committee, which will be chaired by the President and joined by the Executive Secretary and the Secretaries of the Department of [...]
New interventions launched for a just, ecologically safe PHL renewable energy transition [REI Philippines]
DOWNLOAD PDF MAKATI CITY, 19 March 2026: The Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines (‘REI Philippines’) officially unveiled six prototype interventions that aim to address barriers in the Philippines’ renewable energy (RE) transition and empower businesses in the RE sector with new ways of doing business—ensuing the transition occurs in an ecologically safe, rights-respecting and socially just manner. A total of 120 representatives from industry, finance, civil society, and national government agencies attended the high-level multi-stakeholder forum organized by REI Philippines today at the AIM Conference Centre (ACC) in Makati City. “A successful energy transition must recognize people’s importance while boosting productivity and reducing emissions. It is as much a social and economic challenge as an environmental one,” said Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh [...]
Beyond Fare Hikes: Investing in Affordable and Inclusive Mobility in the Philippines
by: Arielle Celine Tabinga EDITOR’S NOTE: Arielle Celine Tabinga is the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ Manager for Urban Development. This piece reflects her insights from the panel discussion Driving Action for Clear Skies: Inclusive Transport and Community-Led Clean Air Innovations in Southeast Asia and India, a pre-event session organized by the Clean Mobility Collective Southeast Asia, held ahead of the 12th Better Air Quality Conference (BAQ 2026) in Bangkok, Thailand on March 9. When fares increase, people adjust in different ways. Some reduce travel altogether. Workers with flexible arrangements may shift to remote work, cut down on [...]