QUEZON CITY, 23 July 2024 – Following the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday, the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) called for the administration to truly prioritize and invest in climate action as part of the country’s better development pathway, including making climate finance available and accessible across all sectors and communities; accelerating the transition towards indigenous, renewable energy sources; and building safer, more inclusive infrastructure for public transport.  

In detail, ICSC Executive Director Angelo Kairos dela Cruz said:

“We welcome the President’s recognition of climate and energy as important issues for the Philippines, and the urgency for action in this year’s SONA. ICSC hopes that this signals a broader agreement that climate action is better development, and doing otherwise is not only counter-intuitive but also detrimental to our collective development.

“We recognize the provision of crop insurance to farmers and fisherfolk to help protect them from the impacts of climate change, highlighting the importance of making pre-arranged finance mechanisms such as climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI) available and accessible to all sectors. With this must also come a wider recognition that the availability of existing insurance instruments does not always equate to access. Equitable CDRFI needs more convergence, such as through the Multi-Actor Partnership and the Global Shield against Climate Risks, access to data, and a clear understanding of risk layering. 

“We also celebrate the Philippines’ selection as the host country of the Board of the United Nations’ Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FLD) – it is a truly significant moment for the FLD Board to be hosted by a developing country. With this, we must ensure that our national systems and processes are prepared once the FLD becomes operational; getting our baselines right and utilizing the experience and expertise of our climate scientists and research institutions on attribution science will be critical. While the FLD is a milestone win for climate action, it is not a cure-all, and a national strategy will be crucial in allowing the Philippines to maximize access and support other developing countries, as well.

“As the Philippines takes the lead in hosting the FLD, we look forward to its leadership in leveraging climate finance to support climate-vulnerable countries. With this new leadership, however, the government must not lose sight of our national climate change adaptation fund: the People’s Survival Fund (PSF). Noting the replenishment of the PSF would have been an important addition to this year’s SONA: Fund availability would ensure that the PSF Board, the Fund’s governing body, is able to commit to funding more adaptation projects from local governments and communities in dire need of financing streams for their initiatives.

“On energy, the administration’s progress in enhancing national energy infrastructure, including notable improvements in transmission lines, is a positive development. Now, the next step is to further modernize the grid, making it more flexible and distributed by integrating indigenous and renewable energy sources, ensuring that the country’s power system fits the energy needs of Filipinos. 

“We also welcome the efforts to help ease the payments of electric costs for consumers; however, these remain temporary, band-aid solutions. While having sustainable, reasonably-priced, and reliable power for all Filipinos remains a commitment in this year’s SONA, what we ultimately need is to source power from indigenous and readily available sources, and to immediately move away from a baseload-centric, fossil-fuel centered power system. While the ambition to increase renewable energy in the mix, as indicated in the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP), looks promising, the continued prevalence of fossil fuel operations can still drive up the cost of electricity and set back true progress. 

“While we agree that a clean and affordable energy agenda is reason to further strengthen the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), we do not believe that amending the law is warranted at this time. Instead, the most pressing energy issues faced by Filipinos can be more effectively and swiftly addressed by amending implementing rules and regulations  and updating the circulars that implement EPIRA provisions. Additionally, we amplify again the call to abolish the automatic fuel cost pass-through provisions in power contracts, which have burdened consumers financially for years. 

“Moreover, developments in the Philippines’ infrastructure projects are laudable, however, more attention should be invested in building and maintaining safe, interconnected, and accessible infrastructure for public transportation, including the creation of better at-grade sidewalks, accessibility ramps, working escalators and elevators, and bicycle lanes that adhere to safety standards, and are inclusive of the needs of vulnerable groups, such as women and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and differently-abled people.

“We in ICSC are committed to collaborating with the government in working towards a country where communities have the capacity to adapt and are empowered to act on climate change. We expect the current administration to put the needs of Filipinos first in order to survive and thrive in the midst of adversity, with no one left behind.”

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

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

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