Alangalang: The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) is expanding its partnership with local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas to help accelerate the region's transition to renewable energy (RE).

According to Philippines News Agency, the ICSC aims to work with more municipalities in developing local renewable energy roadmaps that will help unlock indigenous energy resources, attract investments, strengthen energy security, and build climate-resilient communities. In a statement released on Monday, the organization emphasized that these roadmaps are essential for paving the way for a sustainable future for communities across the region.

This announcement follows the recent Renewable Energy Roadmap Scoping Workshop held in collaboration with the municipal government of Alangalang in Leyte. Alangalang is pioneering in Leyte by developing a renewable energy roadmap focused on enhancing local energy security and accelerating its transition to clean energy.

The workshop brought together representatives from various sectors, including the municipal government, national government agencies, the local electric cooperative, civil society organizations, and development partners. Their goal was to identify priority actions for institutionalizing the municipality's shift to renewable energy. The ICSC highlighted the importance of local government leadership in driving community adoption of sustainable practices.

Besides Alangalang, the ICSC is collaborating with five other LGUs in Eastern Visayas to promote local energy transition through the development of local energy plans and the enactment of RE ordinances. These municipalities include Paranas and Marabut in Samar, and Guiuan, Oras, and Salcedo in Eastern Samar. A memorandum of understanding was signed on February 20, committing these LGUs to a participatory local energy planning process.

The initiative is crucial for Eastern Visayas, where power shortages frequently disrupt essential services. Despite existing renewable energy facilities like solar and geothermal plants, the region remains reliant on coal-fired power generation, leading to some of the country's highest electricity rates.

Under the memorandum of understanding, participating LGUs agreed to align their local energy initiatives with national policies. The ICSC committed to providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to help these LGUs in multi-stakeholder local energy planning, formulating clean energy transition plans, crafting RE ordinances, and mobilizing investments.