Environmental groups have called on Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to fulfill his campaign promise to switch the country’s power source to renewable energy, which he claims to be an effective way to address high power costs in the country.
In a statement, Power 4 People Coalition (P4P) said that Marcos has yet to present “a clear picture of the extent of his support and how the country would transition” to renewable energy.
“President Marcos has claimed the Bangui windmills as his own and announced his support for renewable energy during the campaign. Now we want more than vague promises. His State of the Nation Address (SONA) should clarify his goals and plans to achieve those goals,” P4P Convenor Gerry Arances in a statement.
Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his first SONA on Monday, July 25.
P4P said that Marcos Jr. must lay down his plans for renewable energy in his SONA, as well as issue marching orders to the Department of Energy (DOE) to create an energy transition roadmap.
“The government cannot pretend it has no hand in determining what kind of power is made accessible to ordinary consumers. At the rate, fuel prices are going and with impacts already spilling over to other commodities, continued reliance on fossil fuels for power will clearly starve Filipinos,” Arances added.
In his inauguration, Marcos Jr. acknowledged that the country is facing concerns in power supply.
“Marcos has a golden opportunity to fulfill the dream of every Philippine President: energy security and affordability. By casting its lot with renewable energy and seeing its implementation to the very end of his term, this administration can reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, bring down our greenhouse gas emissions to help with the climate emergency, and slash electricity bills for the long-suffering Filipino consumer. He needs to see reason and declare a plan for a 100% renewable energy-powered future for Filipinos,” Arances concluded.