As disasters mount, environmental groups slam Marcos’ ‘motherhood’ statements
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) drew sharp criticism from environmental groups, which denounced his address as inadequate while the country faces mounting climate disasters.
Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED), an independent think tank, said the president barely mentioned any plans to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change in the country.
They said the government appeared to operate with a “business-as-usual” mindset, showing little urgency in environmental oversight.
Marcos briefly touted the country’s shift to renewable energy, but watchdogs have long warned that even renewable energy projects — though beneficial in principle — can prove harmful if too ambitious or not properly implemented.
“[W]e urge the President to instead turn his attention to genuine solutions that address the root of climate change: rapid emission cuts that can only be achieved by phasing out fossil fuel reliance, and raising our ambitions for renewable energy,” CEED energy and climate program head Krishna Ariola said in a statement.
The Protect VIP, a network of groups focused on safeguarding the Verde Island Passage marine corridor, also did not mince words when it described Marcos’ statements on disaster response as “vague” and “motherhood.”
Father Edwin Gariguez, the group's lead convenor, said invoking the Filipinos’ “discipline” and “bayanihan spirit” represents a “shameful relinquishing of the administration’s responsibilities.”
The government, he argued, is failing to confront the impacts of the climate crisis and build genuine resilience for vulnerable communities.
These criticisms do not come from thin air. So, what little did Marcos have to say about the environment in his fourth SONA?
The ‘motherhood’ statements
Instead of offering concrete solutions, environmental groups expressed dismay over Marcos urging the public to be “disciplined,” “vigilant,” and to embody a sense of “bayanihan” — which is known as the long-held Filipino tradition for collective action in communities.
“Hiling din namin ang inyong kooperasyon, inyong disiplina, pagmamatyag, at bayanihan bilang responsableng mamamayan,” Marcos said on Monday, July 28.
(We also ask for your cooperation, discipline, vigilance, and bayanihan as responsible citizens.)
He took the time to stress the need for discipline in waste disposal and vigilance in storm preparedness, saying families should know their evacuation centers and cooperate with the government when ordered to evacuate.
“Higit sa lahat, bayanihan sa pagdadamayan at pagtutulungan, lalo na sa mga nasalanta nating kapwa,” he added.
(Above all, bayanihan in compassion and mutual help, especially for our fellow Filipinos who have been affected.)
While citizen participation plays a role in disaster risk reduction, environmental groups stressed that the government needs to go beyond reminders and present concrete, long-term solutions.
“True, disaster resilience requires not just public vigilance, but strong, rights-based and people-centric governance and accountability from those in power,” Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment Chairperson Jonila Castro told Philstar.com in a message on Tuesday, July 29.
Touting natural gas
In his brief statement on renewable energy, the president touted the country’s technologies, including solar and wind power, even going as far as saying the “Philippines is known in the world for prioritizing it.”
He also promoted natural gas, despite criticism that it remains a greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuel, harming local communities where gas expansions are conducted.
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For CEED, this may be interpreted by industry giants in the energy sector as a “green light” to continue with the expansion of coal and gas plants.
According to Ariola, the president's first three years have already demonstrated his reluctance to halt gas and fossil fuel expansion.
She pointed to the Philippine Natural Gas Industry Development Act, which Marcos signed to promote natural gas as transition energy and build more power plants.
Marcos, however, framed his statement within the context of the country’s electricity challenges, citing the millions of households still left in the dark.
To resolve this, he promised to ramp up infrastructure, pledging the construction of 200 power plants in his last three years to bring power to 4 million homes.
Gariguez, meanwhile, argued that natural gas projects in Batangas have harmed both the livelihoods of fisherfolk and the marine ecosystem, citing the 2023 Mindoro oil spill that polluted the Verde Island Passage and nearby waters.
This has been internationally recognized as a case of ecological destruction by the International Rights of Nature Tribunal in 2024.
“To date, no concrete action to stop fossil fuel and toxic cargo pollution in our seas has been put forward,” Gariguez said, noting it also comes as no surprise when “corporate heads who profit from fossil fuel operations” were also present at his fourth SONA.
What he left out
Notably, Marcos did not mention the word “environment” or “kalikasan” at any point in his address. His only reference to “klima” (climate) was in the context of the government’s disaster preparedness efforts.
And under the same breath, he called the country’s worsening calamities the “new normal” under climate change, reiterating what he said moments after he returned from trade talks with the US.
“Masigasig din ang ating paghahanda at pagmamatyag laban sa banta ng sakuna at kalamidad, lalo na sa bagong normal at nagbabagong klima na bugso ng panahon,” he said.
(We are also actively preparing for and monitoring threats of disasters and calamities, especially amid the new normal and changing climate brought about by extreme weather.)
Missing from his address were concrete plans for harmful reclamation projects, large-scale mining operations and fossil fuel developments.
Instead, Marcos confined his environmental discussion mostly to renewable energy, flood-control projects, building more evacuation centers and early warning systems for natural hazards.
“The Philippine government needs to show leadership in climate mitigation and adaptation beyond flood control projects, relief responses and evacuation centers,” Ariola said.
If a new normal is what the government wants, she said this should involve “new solutions to strengthen the resilience of Filipino communities.”
No talk on human rights violations
Castro expressed disappointment over what she described as “greenwashing” under the Marcos Jr. administration, which promoted renewable energy while ignoring the environmental and human rights violations that had come with it.
“Communities resisting destructive energy and infrastructure projects are being militarized, red-tagged, harassed, or worse — killed,” Castro said.
“The President’s silence on these attacks is unacceptable, and it sends a chilling message that violence against environmental defenders will continue with impunity,” she added.
The Philippines remains the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders, accounting for nearly seven in 10 killings and enforced disappearances in 2023, according to a Global Witness report.
“If the Marcos administration is serious about energy security and disaster preparedness, it must start by respecting the rights of communities, protecting environmental defenders, and ensuring that development truly serves the people — not just corporate profit,” Castro said.
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