ARTICLE 1:

Geothermal Key to Philippines’ Energy Demand

The ASEAN Post Team (21 February 2021)
Retrieved from: https://theaseanpost.com/article/geothermal-key-philippines-energy-
demand

Today, there are nearly eight billion people living on the planet. As this number
continues to grow, the need for water, food, land, and energy will also rise. The climate
is one of the earth’s fundamental life support systems which determines if the planet is
habitable or not. Rapid development in many countries, deforestation for agriculture,
ever-growing cities, mining, and industries have all contributed to a drastic change in
the earth’s climate.

The Philippines, home to an estimated 111 million people, is highly vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change including sea level rise, increased frequency of extreme
weather events, rising temperatures and extreme rainfall. Just last year, the country was
hit by several deadly natural disasters such as Super Typhon Goni and Typhoon Vamco
whilst battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), “there is no path to protecting the
climate without dramatically changing how we produce and use electricity.”

Therefore, many organizations, activists and experts are preaching about powering a
greener future through cleaner sources of energy.

Geothermal Potential
The Philippines’ current energy mix highly favors fossil fuels, with coal, natural gas, and
oil, which account for 73.5 percent of the country's total energy needs. This is mainly
because these are relatively cheaper sources, especially coal – which is the country’s
most heavily used energy source. Out of the country’s 75,266-gigawatt hour (GWh)
electricity demand in 2013, approximately 42.6 percent was sourced from coal. 

However, Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the
United States (US) stated that a wide variety of environmental impacts are associated
with generating electricity from coal. 

As the effects of climate change are clearly visible around the world, including the
Philippines, a cleaner source of energy is very much needed. Organizations around the
world have also stressed about building a better world after COVID-19 through clean
energy.

An energy source that has the potential to make a difference in the Philippines is
geothermal.

Southeast Asia is home to 25 percent of the world’s geothermal generation capacity.

Most, if not all of this geothermal capacity is located in Indonesia and the Philippines –
both ranked as the second and third largest producers of geothermal energy in the
world, according to geothermal news site Think GeoEnergy in 2019.

Source: Department of Energy, Republic of the Philippines

Geothermal energy is a form of renewable energy produced by heat from the earth. It is
considerably safer than most other energy sources. The environmental impact of
geothermal energy is minimal, especially when compared to fossil fuel power plants.

The Philippines is one of the world's top producers of geothermal power, as it is located
along the Ring of Fire zone of Pacific volcanoes. However, in 2018, the country dropped
in the global rankings for geothermal countries, just behind Indonesia. This prompted
the Philippines to consider revamping its geothermal development again.

In June 2018, the country launched a new string of exploration surveys, which is an
addition to roughly 10 contracts with power companies on geothermal exploration, said
Think GeoEnergy.

The Philippines currently has seven geothermal fields which supply about 12 percent of
the nation's energy, with a long-term plan to nearly double capacity by 2040. According
to a report titled, “Philippines Geothermal Energy Industry 2020-2025: Trends,
Developments, Policies, Regulations and Key Players,” the Philippines government has
a target to phase out its coal usage by 2040 and focus more on energy production from
natural gas and renewables. This will potentially create several opportunities for the
country’s geothermal energy market in the future.

The Philippines’ Department of Energy stated in its report titled, “Philippine Energy Plan
2016-2030,” that geothermal energy will continue to be the country’s major renewable
energy resource in 2030, accounting for more than 40 percent of the total renewable
energy under the government’s Business as Usual (BAU) Scenario. 
To note, the report presented a few scenarios and the BAU scenario simulates how the
future supply of energy will evolve without further government policy intervention and as
the most likely to happen scenario.

The Energy Development Corporation (EDC), a geothermal trailblazer and leading

renewable energy company, believes that geothermal is the key to establishing a stable
energy baseload suited to the constant yet dynamic power needs of the Philippines’
developing economy.

ARTICLE 2:
Water shortage in the Philippines threatens sustainable development and health
WHO (22 March 2019)
Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/philippines/news/feature-stories/detail/water-
shortage-in-the-philippines-threatens-sustainable-development-and-health

Everyone everywhere has the right to water. Unfortunately, billions of people around the
world have no access to safely managed drinking water, defined as water that is
accessible on premises, available when needed and free from contamination. In the
Philippines, around 1 in 10 people still do not have access to improved water sources.

Water-related advocacy such as World Water Day, celebrated every 22 March, is

crucial in bringing global attention to the importance of water. This year’s World Water
Day theme is ‘Leaving no one behind’.

“Water is an extremely important resource that we cannot live without. But there are
Filipinos who are still being left behind in terms of access to improved water sources,
especially in rural communities,” said Dr Gundo Weiler, WHO Representative in the
Philippines.

In 2016, one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the Philippines was acute watery
diarrhoea, claiming over 139 000 lives.

The situation could worsen as the country is beset by the El Niño phenomenon and
climate change that contribute to increase in temperature, drying up our water sources.
The recent water shortage in Metro Manila also highlights the uncertainty of water
access even in the nation’s capital.

Inadequate and intermittent water supply in Metro Manila and in other parts of the
country can have serious health consequences. When water is scarce, people are often
forced to rely on drinking water sources that may not be safe. They may also lack
sufficient water for basic hygiene - to wash themselves and their clothes, and to prevent
infection including from foodborne and waterborne diseases. Low or negative water
pressure in pipes due to short supply can attract contaminants that will put water quality
at risk when the supply is restored.

In addition, limited supply obliges people to store more water. If not handled properly,
this will provide more opportunity for mosquitoes to breed and consequently increase
the cases of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever.

“Individuals can contribute in their own ways to protect their health from the impact of
scarce water resources by conserving and recycling water, making sure the water they
drink is safe, and covering water containers to protect against contamination and
vectors,” said Engr Bonifacio Magtibay, environmental health technical officer in WHO
Philippines.

While individual contributions are vital, governments still have the obligation to provide
safe and reliable drinking water sources to people through long-term solutions. As it
stands, too much reliance on surface water such as rivers and lakes as well as
groundwater will not be sustainable in the future due to the climate reality and
increasing water demand from the population.

“Strategies such as the application of improved rainwater collection systems and state-
of the-art desalination technologies coupled with renewable energies can be used in the
Philippines,” explained Engr Magtibay. “By adopting innovative and long-term solutions,
the Philippines can ensure water for all that will protect the peoples’ health and help
drive sustainable development forward.”

The World Health Organization is working with the Philippines Department of Health
and other sector agencies to ensure safe water for all through the development and
implementation of water safety planning, strengthening systems and capacity for
drinking-water quality surveillance and monitoring, and improvement of water,
sanitation, and hygiene in health care facilities.
 ARTICLE 3:
We started this ‘fire’
by Johannes Chua (May 21, 2021)
Retrieved from: https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/21/we-started-this-fire/

When man disrupts the normal cycle of nature, dire consequences happen to the
point that it reaches a global proportion. We all feel it as the pain of a prolonged
pandemic continues to haunt us.

So much has been said and written about COVID that some of us may feel like we
are already experts on the subject matter. Whether you agree or not, COVID is a
consequence of man’s action. Come to think of it – scientists have said that the
virus’ origins may be from animals that we were not supposed to consume; the
spread of COVID is more concentrated in densely populated areas, which is a result
of urbanization; and it is very hard to contain the virus as man keeps on traveling
and moving around. These actions clearly show that there is no one else to blame
but us for this pandemic… need I say more?

To support the above statement, a paper entitled “Are bats to blame for the
coronavirus?” authored by Albert Balbutin Jr. said: “By merely looking at our steady
encroachment on wildlife habitats, and increased human travel, it is no wonder why
the coronavirus has spread so far and wide. Add to this the unprepared or weak
health care systems of various countries around the world, as well as increased
wildlife trade, it would seem that in hindsight this could have been predicted.”

The main point of his paper showed that as humans live closer and closer to forest
habitats, it exposed us to more diseases.

The pandemic is not yet over but it doesn’t mean that we can’t plan. Though we
must still be focused on decreasing the number of COVID cases and deaths, it is
prudent to have a long-term plan such as strengthening our forest conservation
efforts. If forests are protected, there is a big chance that we are also protected
from future pandemics.

During the International Day of Forests held early this year, the Climate Change
Commission (CCC) called on the public “to help sustain healthy forests and create a
climate-resilient future for all.”

Forests cover about one-third of the earth’s land mass, providing habitat for 80
percent of the terrestrial species of animals and plants. Around 1.6 billion people,
including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures, depend on forests for their
livelihoods, medicine, fuel, food, and shelter.

“Forests support the water cycle on earth, maintaining the balance of oxygen,
carbon dioxide, and humidity in the atmosphere; protecting watersheds, which
supply fresh water to communities; and preventing soil erosion and global warming.
They are the largest storehouses of carbon after oceans, storing carbon in forest
biomass, soils, and products equivalent to about 10 percent of carbon emissions
projected for the first half of this century,” said the CCC in a statement.

Despite the ecological, economic, social, and health benefits of forests, global
deforestation continues at an alarming rate – with 13 million hectares of forests
being destroyed annually, removing vital habitats for plant and animal species,
lowering carbon dioxide absorption and oxygen production, and increasing the
world’s carbon footprint.

“Deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas

emissions that contribute to climate change, which also makes forests become
increasingly vulnerable to changes in weather, temperature and rainfall patterns,” it
said.

“As if the world needed another wake-up call, the message is clear: the global
pandemic is an indicator of the need to protect our environment,” said John Leo
Algo, program manager of Living Laudato Si Philippines and a member of the
Haribon Foundation.

We couldn’t agree more. We have to start somewhere if we want to recover from a

bruising pandemic. There are many ways to help take care of our forests and it
starts with changing our old, destructive mindset that we are above nature.