Philippine Church Urges Stronger Climate Action After President's Annual Address

Caritas Philippines President Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza has expressed disappointment over what he described as the absence of environmental priorities in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying the environment "cannot remain an empty chair" in the country's national agenda.

In a statement released on July 30, Bishop Alminaza, who also heads the Diocese of San Carlos in the central Philippine province of Negros Occidental, said the President's speech highlighted electricity prices, petroleum service contracts, hydrogen projects, and nuclear energy but failed to address the climate crisis, destructive mining, and the continued expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.

"The environment must no longer be the empty chair at our national table," the bishop said, stressing that the ecological crisis is not only an environmental issue but also an economic, social, and humanitarian concern affecting millions of Filipinos through stronger typhoons, floods, droughts, and the loss of livelihoods.

Bishop Alminaza welcomed the President's proposal to remove systems loss charges from electricity bills, saying consumers should not be made to shoulder costs they did not cause. However, he emphasized that the measure alone would not resolve the country's long-standing energy challenges.

According to Caritas Philippines, the nation's high electricity costs are driven largely by expensive power generation and continued dependence on imported coal and natural gas. The bishop said the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) requires comprehensive reform, arguing that the law has failed to deliver affordable, reliable electricity after 25 years of implementation.

He also welcomed the administration's support for rooftop solar systems and battery storage through the proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, saying the measure could empower households and communities to generate their own electricity, especially during natural disasters and prolonged power outages.

At the same time, Bishop Alminaza cautioned against expanding fossil gas infrastructure and reviving nuclear power, arguing that increased reliance on fossil gas would deepen the country's dependence on imported fuel while exposing consumers to volatile global energy prices. He also raised concerns about the costs, safety, radioactive waste, public debt, and long-term accountability associated with nuclear energy.

The bishop further stressed that renewable energy development must respect both people and the environment. He warned that clean energy projects should not come at the expense of forests, watersheds, biodiversity, ancestral domains, farmland, fishing grounds, or the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples, farmers, fisherfolk, and local communities.

"The transition to clean energy cannot become an excuse for sacrificing ancestral domains, forests, watersheds, farms, fishing grounds, and community rights through destructive mining and mineral extraction," he said.

The Caritas Philippines president underscored the Church's teaching that care for creation is inseparable from care for the poor.

"For Caritas, care for creation is never separate from care for the poor. The ecological crisis and the crisis of poverty are one human crisis that demands an integral response," Bishop Alminaza said.

He concluded by urging national leaders to place environmental stewardship at the center of governance, saying that protecting creation is essential to safeguarding life, promoting justice, and securing a sustainable future for all Filipinos.