350 Pilipinas expresses deep concern over the escalating strikes involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Initial attacks were launched by the US and Israel on Iran, followed by Iran’s retaliatory measures. Beyond geopolitical calculations and market reactions, we recognize the immediate and devastating human toll of this conflict. Civilians—families, children, workers—are once again facing displacement, injury, and loss of life. In every escalation, it is unarmed communities who stand closest to the blast radius.

We join the growing global call to halt the violence and prevent further escalation. Security cannot be built at the expense of civilian lives. The protection of ordinary people must be the first priority.

This conflict also underscores a deeper structural reality. When bombs fall in the Middle East, oil prices rise in Manila. The Philippines imports most of its fuel from a region long shaped by geopolitical tensions tied to fossil fuel resources. As global tensions intensify, oil price spikes ripple through our economy—raising jeepney fares, increasing food prices, and driving up electricity costs. It is the poorest Filipinos, already burdened by inflation and climate impacts, who absorb these shocks.

For more than a century, oil has been more than fuel—it has been central to global power dynamics, shaping alliances, rivalries, and military strategies. While the causes of conflict are complex, fossil fuel dependence has remained a persistent undercurrent in regional instability.

This is the structural risk of continued reliance on imported fossil fuels: our economic stability becomes tethered to distant conflicts beyond our control. No nation can build lasting prosperity on a system vulnerable to war-driven price volatility.

There is a clear alternative. Accelerating the transition to renewable energy—solar, wind, and other locally sourced power—offers the Philippines greater energy independence, price stability, and climate resilience. Coupled with electrified transport, safe active mobility, and responsive public transportation systems, this transition can reduce both emissions and exposure to global oil shocks.

For a country highly vulnerable to climate disasters and global fuel price swings, shifting to renewables is not simply an environmental agenda—it is an economic and security imperative.

The current crisis presents a stark choice: remain exposed to the volatility of fossil fuel geopolitics, or accelerate the transition toward clean, locally generated energy systems that serve people rather than conflict.

350 Pilipinas calls for an immediate de-escalation of violence and a decisive shift away from fossil fuel dependence. The path to peace, stability, and resilience begins with building a renewable energy future now.