The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), in partnership with the Mount Apo Foundation, recently concluded its first ever Mindanao Renewable Energy Forum in Davao City. The forum saw guests from all over Mindanao come together to discuss the future of renewable energy as a viable, clean and sustainable power source for Mindanao.
Mindanao is currently facing a power crisis, with blackouts hitting key areas of the island throughout the year. WWF believes that the best way to deal with such problems of energy insecurity is to diversify Mindanao’s power mix as a buffer to climate change and to the volatility of international fossil fuel prices. This insulates Filipino consumers from the increasing prices of oil and coal while enhancing its energy independence and dramatically reducing carbon emissions.
“The Philippines has one of the highest power rates in Asia, mainly because of inefficiencies in the power sector and increasing reliance on imported fossil fuels,” explains WWF-International Energy Policy Coordinator Rafael Senga. “Most of the increases in our power rates were caused by hikes in generation cost. With fossil fuel prices continually on the rise due to dwindling supplies and increasing demand, we should expect to pay even more in the coming years – unless we invest in indigenous renewable energy now.”
Senga says that one of the country’s few competitive advantages is its vast renewable energy resources. “The Philippines is a fossil fuel-poor country and investing in RE shields us from the volatility of the fossil fuel market. It also positions us to take advantage of the fast-growing renewable energy market. It is no coincidence that some of the biggest investors in renewable energy are also the most globally-competitive economies – China, the US, Germany and South Korea.”
WWF’s PowerSwitch study shows the country can further develop 1200 MW of geothermal, 2308 MW of sustainable hydro, 235 MW of biomass and 7404 MW of wind power capacities in the next 10 years, raising the share of indigenous renewables in our power mix to 50%.
Among the forum’s resource speakers were Atty. Pete Maniego, the chairman of the National Renewable Energy Board, Commissioner Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission, Director Mario Marasigan of the Department of Energy and Governor Lala Taliño-Mendoza of the Province of Cotabato.
Guest speakers also included representatives of the different renewable energy sectors such as Agnes De Jesus from the Energy Development Corporation for Geothermal and Danilo Panes of the Wind Energy Developers Association of the Philippines, as well as financial institutions such as the Bank of the Philippine Islands and the Development Bank of the Philippines.
In 2008, the Philippines passed a groundbreaking law called the Renewable Energy Act, one of the most comprehensive and forward-looking renewable energy laws in the world.
Says Philippine Department of Energy Secretary Rene Jose Almendras, “We can no longer sustain all our energy needs through traditional fossil-based sources. There are already RE technologies that are economically and financially viable.”
Adds WWF-Philippines Climate Change Director Atty. Gia Ibay, “Diversifying our power mix with renewable energy is not only good for the environment – it makes perfect business sense as well. Renewable energy is absolutely vital in obtaining energy security and economic stability for the country. It also mitigates climate change effects.”
In 2009, WWF launched The Coral Triangle and Climate Change: Ecosystems, People and Societies at Risk – a report based on a thorough consideration of the climate biology, economics and social characteristics of the region, showing how unchecked climate change will ultimately undermine and destroy ecosystems and livelihoods in the Coral Triangle.
The Philippines has one of the longest non-continuous coastlines in the world which makes it especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Warming temperatures might push up to 30% of all known species into extinction. It is also situated within the ‘typhoon belt’ and is vulnerable to increasingly violent storms. Among the primary goals of WWF is to stabilize energy-related emissions by 2015 to prevent dangerous global climate change.
In 2009, 29% of the Philippines’ power came from coal. According to the Department of Energy’s latest forecast – by 2012, a full 50% of the country’s power will be taken from coal. Not the smartest energy path for a fossil fuel-poor and climate change-vulnerable country.
*The photo of Bangui Mills was taken by Ruel Pine.
