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“There are a lot of vested interests here, particularly powerful people. They are trying to block the restoration efforts because there is something else that they want to do, especially with the lands."
The deaths of Espe and Mulabay add to a growing list of activists who have been killed in recent years, including Antonio Diwayan, Elioterio Ugking, and Ali Macalintal.
By siding once again with Meralco’s coal project, it’s nothing less than a death sentence for the people of Quezon,” said Fr. Warren Puno, regional coordinator of the South Luzon Eco-Convergence of Caritas Philippines and parish priest of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Parish in Atimonan.
Marcos Jr.'s clean energy agenda faces growing scrutiny, as soaring LNG costs, environmental damage, and community concerns expose stark contradictions in the Philippines’ energy transition.
Twelve years have passed but Ofelia and her family continuously felt the trauma, especially if there’s a typhoon or a strong weather disturbance nearby the Davao region.
People Surge, a national alliance of disaster survivors, said that many affected communities remain without housing, livelihood, or sustained support.
“There’s been so much Western influence, especially with tourism and migrants coming in. Our language is changing—kids speak English, Cebuano—it’s all mixed now. But the deeper, ancestral influence is still there. I came from Mamanwa. I want that to be recognized again.”
Some come to surf or recover, drawn to Siargao’s beauty and relative peace. But their presence, often marked by aggressive behavior, loud partying, and a disregard for local customs, has begun to unsettle the community.
“These funds exist for emergencies like this. The government’s failure to release them quickly and transparently is costing lives and livelihood,”
Across the Philippines, many communities are losing their livelihoods and homes in the name of so-called development projects causing environmental destruction. With Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s presidency already at the halfway mark, the state of the Philippine environment is caught between lofty climate pledges and worsening ecological destruction.
In the ruling, the World Court said that the climate change treaties set forth binding obligations for State parties to ensure environmental protection. Among these treaties are the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. In the Philippines, all these legally-binding treaties are ratified, therefore, the government is responsible for failure to uphold the much needed environmental protection.
Fishing families consistently rank among the poorest in the Philippines. Where meat is not accessible, gleaned shellfish and variable catches under “Others” offer a vital bridge: diverse, accessible, and nutritionally relevant, as shown in data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“They said that it’s for flood mitigation, but why are they dredging the offshore area and not the shallow part of the Banaoang River instead? The ships are scaring the fish away. What’s worse, some of the island’s coast has already eroded."
For years, residents of Barangay Paguludan-Salindeg in Currimao town have endured the impacts of solar energy projects in their community, including extreme heat and worsening flooding. These issues began with the construction of solar power plants by Mirae Asia Energy Corp. in 2016 and intensified when Nuevo Solar Energy Corp. started operating in 2023. Both power plants have a combined capacity of 85 megawatt.
“The people of Kauswagan are already suffering from the existing GNPower Kauswagan coal-fired power plant, which affects their livelihood from fishing, their health, and causes pollution in the area.”
Though Habagat’s seasonal pattern is predictable, its impact on municipal fishers remains overlooked.
At least 10 seabed quarrying projects are approved for utilization of marine sediment in Manila Bay, which Pamalakaya said, will be used for various reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Climate activists said that Japan and ADB’s continued financing of fossil fuel infrastructure, particularly fossil gas, under the banner of “transition” or “bridge” fuels falls short of what the climate crisis demands.
“Quezon’s impacted communities and their supporters have spoken: we want a sustainable energy future, not coal or gas. Already, Meralco is facing much controversy for its skyrocketing electricity rates, unreliable services, and anticonsumer contracts,” said Gerry Arances, Convenor of national consumer group Power for People Coalition.
“This moment demands transparent governance and bold leadership, not empty promises. Corruption, delay, and disinterest are crimes in the face of disaster. Act now!”
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