Church and civil society groups warned that lifting the Philippines’ coal moratorium will deepen the country’s energy crisis rather than resolve it, as officials weigh delaying the shift to renewable energy.
The warnings follow proposals raised during a Senate hearing on April 13, where Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan suggested “delaying a bit” the country’s renewable energy transition to diversify energy sources amid rising global fuel costs.
In a statement dated April 14, Caritas Philippines expressed “grave concern over proposals to lift the coal moratorium and allow the use of lower-grade fuels as a response to the ongoing energy crisis.”
“These proposals—driven by rising global fuel costs—offer what is at best a temporary fix that risks deepening a long-standing systemic problem,” the group said. “Our continued dependence on fossil fuels leaves the nation vulnerable to global shocks beyond our control, while placing the heaviest burden on the poor.”
“Coal is not a neutral energy source,” the group said.
“It pollutes our air, devastates ecosystems, and accelerates the climate crisis. For years, communities near coal plants and ports have endured these realities.”
The group cited cases in Atimonan, Quezon, and Zambales, where residents face threats to livelihoods, health risks, and displacement. It warned that short-term measures could entrench harmful dependence.
“True energy security cannot be built on fuels that expose the nation to price shocks and long-term social costs. Energy policy must not sacrifice the poor and the planet for the illusion of immediate relief,” it said.
Caritas Philippines urged the government to reject coal expansion and accelerate renewable energy, stressing that “solar, wind, geothermal, and marine energy are not distant possibilities—they are viable, present solutions.”
“When oil and coal are entangled with conflict, the poor suffer first and longest,” it added.
Civil society groups echoed the warning. The Power for People Coalition (P4P) challenged proposals to suspend the coal moratorium and called for faster adoption of renewable energy.
“Lifting the coal moratorium is a step backward to realizing a just energy transition, especially at a time when Filipino consumers are already burdened by rising electricity prices,” said Gerry Arances, lead convenor of P4P.
“The current energy crisis exposes the volatility and unreliability of coal, with electric consumers bearing the brunt of rising costs,” he said. “Renewable energy sources, unlike imported fossil fuels, are not subject to the same price fluctuations and offer a more stable, affordable, and cleaner path forward.”
Both groups warned that returning to coal, even temporarily, risks locking the Philippines into deeper dependence on volatile and polluting energy amid global fuel shocks.
