Research group IBON warned that the proposed US-Philippines energy deals risk deepening corporate control and foreign dependence in the country’s energy sector while increasingly subordinating Philippine energy development to US economic and geopolitical interests.
IBON said that developing liquefied natural gas (LNG), nuclear energy, and other energy sources will not make electricity cheaper or more accessible as long as the country’s energy system remains privatized and dominated by a handful of oligarch-owned firms. Fundamental changes in ownership, control and planning are needed for new energy investments to benefit Filipino households and the economy instead of just being profitable opportunities for domestic oligarchs and foreign corporations.
The Philippine Department of Energy and the US Department of Energy are reportedly seeking further agreements on energy security and supply, including developing the country’s energy resources and technical capabilities. But IBON said that the country’s experience shows that energy development under privatization has enriched big businesses while leaving consumers burdened with high electricity prices and millions of households still without electricity.
IBON also raised concern about the strategic context of the energy talks. These come amid the Philippines’ participation in US-led Pax Silica that aims to secure strategic technology supply chains involving semiconductors, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and critical minerals. With energy infrastructure integral to the broader Luzon Economic Corridor, the government must clarify whose interests its energy plans are intended to serve.
The Philippines must not allow its energy resources, infrastructure, and public investments to become conduits for another country’s strategic agenda, IBON said. Energy cooperation must serve the needs of Filipino households, agriculture, and domestic industry rather than US supply chains, foreign-dominated industrial enclaves, and export-oriented investments. The government must ensure that any agreements protect national sovereignty and deliver benefits to Filipinos, not foreign investors and corporations.
The group added that energy security must mean ensuring that energy resources and infrastructure serve the people’s needs, lower electricity costs, and expand access, rather than expanding supply and developing technical capacity to guarantee profits for private corporations and foreign investors.
It should also be noted that large-scale renewable energy projects have displaced communities, threatened livelihoods, and damaged local environments, while the promised benefits of cheaper electricity have yet to be felt by consumers. The allowance of 100% foreign ownership in renewable energy further raises questions about who controls the country’s energy resources and who benefits from their development.
IBON reiterated that genuine energy security requires ending privatization and oligopolization and building a publicly-owned, nationally-planned and democratically-controlled energy system. Workers, consumers, communities, and other sectors must have a meaningful say in energy planning, resource use, and pricing. Energy resources and infrastructure must be developed primarily to provide affordable electricity for all, support domestic agriculture and industrialization, and reduce dependence on foreign capital and technology.
