In love, they call it the seven-year itch, but the Philippine coal moratorium barely made it to a five-year streak before jumping back into the arms of its toxic ex: King Coal! Missing the ‘dirty play’ that much, huh? It looks like we can’t quit this coal addiction, even as the planet begs for mercy.
Sure, the Philippine economy needs reliable baseload to support its growth, and coal may still wear that crown now and in the years ahead—that much I can agree with the industry players and government policymakers.
But even with roughly 20GW of coal projects still supposedly covered under this moratorium, the Department of Energy (DOE) is signaling that it might not be enough. So, was it ever really a moratorium, or just a pause before the next big burn?
The Philippines’ emissions may be a drop in the global ocean, but as a climate frontline nation battered by extreme weather events, how can we demand the world’s help when we won’t even admit that unchecked global warming is a live fuse hissing at our doorstep? That's nothing more than a desperate cry for help cloaked in stubborn hypocrisy—demanding rescue while refusing to
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