“We have to increase our reliance on indigenous and renewable energy,”
This was proposed by Bencyrus Ellorin as a solution to the Philippines’ excessive dependence on foreign petroleum products.
The convenor of Consumers for Renewable Energy Action in Mindanao (CREAM Project) emphasized that using local fuel resources is more efficient and helps avoid overreliance on imported fuel.
Ellorin noted that more than 98 percent of coal used in the Philippines comes from Indonesia, while gasoline is largely sourced from the Middle East factors that drive up electricity prices nationwide.
He explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, coal prices surged from $80 per ton to $400 per ton, directly affecting consumers’ electricity generation rates.
In contrast, renewable energy prices such as solar and hydro remained low and stable, with the Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Complex producing electricity at nearly 3 pesos per kilowatt hour even amid crises.
Because of this, Ellorin urged the government and power producers to strengthen the development of indigenous fuel resources like Malampaya and newly discovered reserves in the West Philippine Sea to ensure a stable and sustainable power supply for the country.
