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 Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Economy Planning and Development (DEPDev), and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In response, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) Executive Director Angelo Kairos dela Cruz said:

“The Philippine government declaration of a national energy emergency just proves how resilience is not a trade-off to development, but in fact, it must be our main anchor towards a better development pathway for the country. The US-Israel war on Iran, like other global disruptions, must not only trigger emergency and temporary responses. We also have to plan ahead, because as the government starts a coordinated effort through the UPLIFT framework, Filipinos will still bear the brunt of the impact: fuel prices will continue to increase, detrimentally affecting the lives and livelihoods of people.

“At the same time, we must recognize how global price shocks are quickly passed on to consumers within a largely privatized oil sector, while safeguards for fairness and accountability remain limited. This highlights a deeper structural issue, that an import-dependent energy system leaves countries like ours exposed to volatility, while private gains persist during crises. 

“We have to learn our lesson now, to be able to move forward and advance a more resilient and sustainable system for the country. Discussions on energy security should not focus on technologies alone; instead we must focus on harnessing what we have indigenously in the Philippines. Prioritizing renewable energy (RE) and effectively moving away from our overreliance on fossil fuels will make us independent from international shocks, protect us from the volatility of global markets, help stabilize power costs, and strengthen our ability, as a nation, to manage the crisis. 

“With the Philippines’ archipelagic nature, energy access and affordability have also been a long-time concern for small islands and isolated grids, where the majority of power generation relies on diesel power plants. With our continued reliance on imported fossil fuels, this can be further aggravated by the US-Israel war on Iran, which further proves that indigenous, renewable energy is the best way forward for the Philippines – it translates to lower power costs and reliable electricity for education, health, and public services deserved by Filipino people and communities. 

“Addressing transportation concerns will also require a system-wide approach. We must treat our transport system as a public service, and it is high time to ensure that people are prioritized, instead of vehicles. The impacts of fuel price increases should not be borne by transport workers and commuters alone. Government subsidies must be channeled towards interconnected public transport routes; safer, accessible infrastructure for active and multimodal mobility; proper financing mechanisms; and technical support. In turn, these subsidies translate to economic investments that allow Filipinos to be productive and prioritize basic necessities. 

“We welcome the establishment of a unified approach from national government agencies, but we also have to recognize the crucial role of local government units (LGUs), who have a better understanding of their communities’ actual situation, experiences, and how best to adapt to such shocks. LGUs have already been taking the lead towards resilience in their localities; for instance: Quezon City already shown how planned, people-centered transport systems have reduced both cost and uncertainty for commuters, while Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Paranas, Samar have been powering their operations and serving their communities through solar energy. We do not need to start from scratch: practical and efficient solutions already exist, and it is only a matter of learning from and scaling these approaches. 

“All things considered: renewable energy advancement, multimodal public transportation and active transport,  and energy security must all be part of a combined, resilient system. In ICSC, we believe that true climate action must be centered on the actual needs of people and local communities. As the world faces the impacts of war, developing countries also continue to face the worsening impacts of climate change. The US-Israel war on Iran, in addition to impacts on fuel supply and prices, has already generated a year’s worth of carbon emissions in just 14 days. On top of the lives of people directly affected by the war, this will also lead to more devastating effects in the long run. 

“Climate change is and will always be a development issue, which is evident in the escalating impacts already affecting our communities. Our focus must remain clear and grounded on these realities, without distraction or delay. War brings harm not only on the economies and people of directly affected countries, but on the entire planet, diverting critical resources, destabilizing energy systems and undermining collective efforts to confront the far greater and existential crisis of climate change. Genuine climate action means actively calling for an immediate end to war, corruption, impunity, and systemic oppression, and ICSC is committed to do its part in upholding these values.”

ABOUT
The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities is a Philippine-based non-governmental organization that advances climate, energy, and low-carbon solutions to enable fair and climate-resilient development at the national and international levels.

CONTACT
Sanafe Marcelo, ICSC: media@icsc.ngo, +63 968 886 3466, +63 917 149 5649

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