Fread De Mesa
The Philippines is at a crucial turning point in the fight against the climate crisis.. We’re already seeing the impact of inaction—stronger typhoons, rising temperatures, and polluted air choking our cities.
February 4, 2025 – 350 Pilipinas and Students from De La Salle – Lipa have conducted a MOA signing with association of Computer Engineering Students and forum on Innovating Sustainability – Leading the Way to a Greener Society. The back-to-back event covered insights of community building and how innovations can be utilize in improving and aiding our communities. Photo: Nadia Cruz
Metro Manila and other urban centers play a key role in this fight. While they contribute significantly to emissions, they also hold the power to spark change.
As Christiana Figueres said, “Cities are where the climate battle will largely be won or lost.” To secure cleaner air and a healthier future, we must demand large-scale investments in renewable energy, public transport, and pollution reduction. Air pollution, driven by fossil-fuel dependence, threatens public health in our cities. Advocating for cleaner air is not just about climate action—it’s about justice for the millions of Filipinos breathing toxic air every day.
February 6, 2025 – A mother, and a member of Tatalon Nanay Power shares her experiences during recent floods as they are residing beside a river. According to her, during typhoons the water would rise and reach their homes. Flooding is among the problems faced by the families in Brgy. Tatalon, Quezon City which impacts their home, their livelihood, and their living conditions. Photo: Nadia Cruz
Despite growing awareness, youth-led climate organizations in the Philippines remain underrepresented. Young activists are at the forefront of climate movements but often lack access to decision-making spaces. We must invest in their leadership to drive long-term, impactful change. Supporting youth with results-driven empowerment to push for transformative solutions that can be measured in terms of emissions mitigated and increased adaptive capacities becomes more important.
January 20, 2024 Polytechnic University of the Philippines students and 350 Pilipinas campus organizer, Jawo Jayme, took a selfie at the university’s rooftop as they are installing a 1KW solar panel for a free solar charging station project. The upcoming project aimed to increase cleaner and sustainable energy access to meet the energy needs of the students.
Recent developments in energy and transportation offer great potential to reduce emissions and improve energy security, but their adoption has been slow. We need stronger incentives, better infrastructure, and policies that make sustainable options the norm. Promoting active transport like walking and cycling can also help reduce emissions, but outdated policies and conflicting priorities are holding us back. Advocacy campaigns are key to shifting the balance toward more sustainable cities, starting with aligning pollution monitoring and reduction policies with international standards—such as updating the Philippine Clean Air Act to match the latest WHO air quality guidelines.
January 21, 2025. Passengers wait along Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City to ride the “Libreng Sakay bus” from the LGU. The free bus ride enables thousands of people to travel daily without fees. The bus is currently powered by electricity from the grid and the city is planning to use more sustainable and cleaner source of energy as part of their decarbonization efforts. Photo: Leo M. Sabangan II
A fair energy transition is essential. We must ensure that climate action benefits everyone, especially disadvantaged communities and workers, and create pathways that support a just and equitable shift to cleaner energy.
The 2025 elections are a chance to prioritize climate action. We can push decarbonization into the mainstream, making sustainability a political priority. Women, students, and grassroots leaders have driven past movements, and mobilizing them will address climate inequalities and create systemic change. Reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, especially in power and transport sectors, is crucial for both climate and energy security.
February 8, 2025 350 Pilipinas and women-led group, the Tatalon Nanay Power conducted their community visit and planning as part of the movement building program that aims to capacitate the community and explore opportunities to increase energy access in urban poor communities. Photo: Nadia Cruz
This year, 350 Pilipinas will tackle these urgent issues head-on. By engaging communities, empowering youth, and pushing for solutions like low-carbon transportation and community-led renewable energy integration, we will drive the country toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. Through strategic advocacy and grassroots organizing and creative actions, we’ll continue to push for climate action that ensures a just and resilient future.
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