Digitalization, climate change, shift to renewables: Marcos’ steps to attain sustainability

with our private sector, in terms of the technology industries,” he said.

On shifting to renewables, Marcos recognizes that the country’s demand for energy far exceeds its reliable supply.

So, when he delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) last year, he presented measures that could increase the country’s energy production, which included revisiting the construction of nuclear power plants.

“We must build new power plants. We must take advantage of all the best technology that is now available, especially in the areas of renewable energy,” he said in July 2023.

“The technology of renewable energy is progressing rapidly and many of these technologies are appropriate for the Philippines. We have already begun windmill power. We are now expanding very quickly our solar power production,” he further said.

“Solar power has steadily increased its efficiency in converting sunlight to electrical power, which is particularly attractive for the Philippines. Because, unlike wind power, solar power is practical almost everywhere in the Philippines all year round,” he added.

Last month, he said that the matter is “a more ticklish problem” that “keeps coming up.” He furthered that resolving energy problems is a longterm program in terms of supply, especially in the midst of the country’s commitments to the international community to move the mix from traditional fossil fuels to renewables.

In his SONA, the chief executive also underscored that paying attention to this problem was connected to the goal of lowering power rates that would benefit the people.

One of his administration’s priority bills include the enactment of an enabling law for the natural gas industry, which seeks to foster the development of the midstream national gas industry to strengthen Philippine energy security by diversifying the country’s primary energy sources, and promoting the role of natural gas as a complementary fuel to variable renewable energy.

On mitigating the effects of climate change, the most that the President has done is bring the conversation to bigger platforms such as the United Nations, Asia Pacific, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and European Union.

In all his foreign trips, he has asked for solidarity and unity in addressing climate change, which, he underscored, was a global problem that needed united action.

“The world must get together to fight the effects of climate change and to ensure sustainable development. Climate change threatens to radically transform for the worst many vulnerable ASEAN landscapes,” he said in Belgium in December last year.

“There is no problem like climate change that is so global in nature that it requires immediate and united effort. We need to act now. We need to act together. We need to get it right,” the President stressed.

Although there was no mention of a priority bill to mitigate the effects of climate change when he assumed office, an accelerated climate change agenda was recently included in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

According to the Climate Change Commission (CCC), “this will further strengthen the commitment of the Philippine Kovernment to deliver on key climate actions.”

CCC Vice Chair and Executive Director (VCED) Robert E.A. Borje said an entire chapter on climate change was added in the PDP 2023-2028 — Chapter 15: Accelerate Climate Action and Strengthen Disaster Resilience.

“The PDP Chapter 15 reflects the Philippine Kovernment’s commitment and dedication to enhance the nation’s overall resilience to climate change and its impacts, putting a premium on the need for integrated and comprehensive climate action between and among government, partners, and all stakeholders,” Borje said.

It identified the goal for communities, institutions, and the natural and built environment to be “more resilient to the impacts of natural hazards and climate change” by 2028.

Like climate change, food sustainability is also among the President’s favorite topics in his speaking engagements.

However, there has been no huge deliverable in this department since he assumed office, except for the opening of several Kadiwa stores nationwide.

The country is currently facing surging prices of basic food commodities—first sugar, and now onions.

Marcos traces this problem to the lack of supply in the country’s agricultural product, which forces the government to import goods. This, in turn, causes “imported inflation”.

To remedy the record-high prices, Kadiwa stores in various places in the country were opened to provide producers a direct link to consumers. Prices of products in these stores are lower.

“Kailangan talagang ayusin yung production natin kasi import tayo nang import kaya yung inflation dun sa ini-import-an natin ay nadadala dito sa Pilipinas (We have to improve our production because we keep on importing, bringing the inflation from where we are importing from to the Philippines),” Marcos said in early January.

“Kaya (So), we have to improve our production, we have to improve all of that kaya naman talagang central ang agriculture sa lahat (that’s why agriculture is the central of all),” he added.