by Jedidiah Yabut
Editor’s Note: Jed is currently a Data Analyst with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities.
The Road to Renewables: Conversations on Energy Transition in Tacloban City was a four-day gathering focused on one big goal: localizing the Philippine energy transition. National policies are important, but they don’t mean much if local governments, communities, and cooperatives can’t translate them into action. That’s what this event aimed to do: bridge the gap between ambition and the realities on the ground.
It brought together mayors, vice mayors, regional planners, civil society leaders, academics, journalists, and private sector representatives. Each with different responsibilities, first-hand experiences, and expertise, but everyone was there for the same reason: to figure out how we can have clean, affordable, and secure energy that is both sustainable and just.
For me, this was relevant not just as part of ICSC’s work, but personally: I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of policy and people’s lived experiences. Being in Tacloban, listening to the voices of LGUs and communities, reminded me why localization isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the only way this transition will succeed.
From the outskirt
One thing I realized was that political will at the local level can unlock so much. Hearing Guiuan’s mayor and Paranas’ vice mayor talk about their renewable energy efforts was inspiring. They weren’t waiting for national agencies to hand them a roadmap — they were already taking steps.
I was also surprised by how openly participants spoke about funding. For LGUs, financing isn’t a minor obstacle; it’s the biggest wall standing in the way, and that challenged me to think differently. Sometimes, what looks like a “lack of action” from the outside is really just a lack of access to resources and technical support, rather than the lacking political willpower of local government heads. In truth, they are eager for linkages to resources and technical assistance, especially from civil society groups and think tanks such as ICSC.
Another insight came from the private sector and distribution utilities. Their conversations showed me that while they often have different priorities, both are ultimately driven by the same things: reliability, trust, and making sure that their communities benefit justly. That realization softened how I see the tension between innovation and stability — they’re two sides of the same coin, just how I see climate action and energy transition.
Finally, we also held a media kapihan on the last day of the event, which underscored the role of storytelling in accelerating the energy transition. Policies and tools won’t gain traction if people can’t see how they matter in their everyday lives; the way we talk about renewable energy shapes whether it feels distant or empowering. As cliché as it may sound, stories have the power to turn policies into lived change. Throughout the event, I heard about the story of Sulu-an, an island that, until the Solar Freezer initiative in 2018, still imported ice from elsewhere because it had no electricity. That simple detail isn’t just about ice; it’s about livelihoods disrupted, opportunities lost, and the everyday struggles that policies on paper are meant to solve.
In the end, it isn’t just about reporting facts; it’s also about framing the energy transition as a shared journey. If communities can see themselves in the narrative—not as simply passive recipients but as active shapers—then the transition becomes more than a policy goal. It becomes a story of collective ownership and possibility.
Takeaways
Ultimately, what I gained from my experience in Tacloban was perspective. It’s easy to talk about targets and megawatts from a national level, but the energy transition is lived out locally —in the choices of mayors, in the risks utilities take, in the way journalists frame the story, and in the way the communities live their stories.
Moving forward, I’ll carry two realizations with me. First, trust is just as important as technology. Trust that commitments will be honored, that investments will pay off, and that no one will be left behind. Second, that localization is not optional: If the energy transition doesn’t work for communities, it doesn’t work at all.
What I hope our participants take away from this event is that the road to renewables isn’t a straight line that starts from Manila; it’s a patchwork of local realities, challenges, and opportunities. And only by listening, collaborating, and telling the right stories can we truly move forward.
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Editor’s Note: The Road to Renewables Roadshow is a series of regional discussions organized under the Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE for SEA) initiative. In the Philippines, CASE is implemented by GIZ Philippines, with the Department of Energy as its political partner and the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities as the local expert organization.
