Church group warns vs heavier reliance on coal amid crisis
A Church group on Tuesday rejected a proposal by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) favoring the use of lower standard fuels and the lifting of the moratorium on coal, amid the fuel crisis.
In a statement, Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the proposed measures only offer a “temporary fix” that could risk deepening a “longstanding systemic problem.”
“Our continued dependence on fossil fuels leaves the nation vulnerable to global shocks beyond our control, while placing the heaviest burden on the poor. When energy systems rely on these volatile sources, every international conflict quickly becomes a domestic crisis,” the group said.
Caritas stressed that coal “is not a neutral energy source” since mining it can cause air pollution, ruin ecosystems and accelerate the climate crisis.
Renewables transition
“We are deeply concerned that measures framed as ‘short-term responses’ will lock the country into a cycle of dependence on harmful energy,” Caritas said. “True energy security cannot be built on fuels that expose the nation to price shocks and long-term social costs.”
At Monday’s hearing by the Senate proactive response and oversight for timely and effective crisis strategy committee—an adhoc panel formed by the chamber to tackle the fuel crisis—DepDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan proposed the temporary use of lower standard fuels and lifting the coal moratorium to strengthen the country’s energy security.
He noted that other countries have allowed the importation of lower grade or cheaper fuel as well as the lifting of a coal moratorium during times of crisis.
While acknowledging the importance of the shift to renewable energy, Balisacan said it’s “not a bad idea at all” to consider delaying the country’s transition so that it can better respond to the fuel crisis.
Caritas, however, called on the government to instead accelerate the transition to renewable energy, saying the energy crisis should push the country to “move forward” rather than “lead us back to coal.”
It noted that the country has many viable sources for renewable energy, such as solar, wind, geothermal and marine energy.
Investing in these resources will not only stabilize the country’s energy security, but also protect communities and the economy from “volatile global markets,” the group said.
