Manila: The government's move to increase renewable energy (RE) sources is a needed boost to secure energy security in the Philippines, and representatives of a non-profit organization said this is badly needed in off-grid areas.
According to Philippines News Agency, citing the results of their focused group discussions (FGDs) on tourism-dependent firms in the provinces of Masbate, Siquijor, and Camiguin in recent weeks, ILAW Pilipinas National Convenor Agnes Garcia said businesses in these provinces are reeling from the series of power outages and rising power costs.
"When power is unreliable, it doesn't just leave communities in the dark, it also leaves them with financial burden and a stalled economic growth," she said in a briefing in Manila Thursday.
Garcia, in an interview by the Philippine News Agency, cited Siquijor as an area where a "hydropower is a big possibility that they can really work on."
ILAW Pilipinas Youth Convenor Francine Beatriz Pradez said the provincial government of Siquijor has piloted the use of solar energy for its local government buildings.
She, however, said the common folks cannot immediately shift to solar given the issues on cost, thus the need for government subsidies to help the people transition to the use of RE, such was what is being done in other areas.
"We want to see it more institutionalized, wherein most of the provinces have standardized subsidies," she added.
Other recommendations include sweeping long-term reforms, power consumer education through fora and dialogues, and for electric cooperatives to provide accurate outage schedules and real-time updates to lessen business uncertainties.
Based on the group's study, Siquijor, Camiguin, and Masbate really need to have energy efficiency to boost the provinces' tourism sector and overall economy.
Citing government data, the report cited the large contribution of tourism on the Philippine economy, accounting for around PHP3.86 trillion in the country's annual output in 2024 alone.
With tourism contributing a large chunk of the domestic economy's annual output, the group underscored the current government's renewed push for installation of more RE-based power plants.
"Reliable power is crucial to driving economic growth," Pradez said. "Without it, tourists are less likely to visit these places, resulting in huge losses for their tourist economy."
