Philanthropic group to increase support for RE transformation efforts in PHL rural areas
By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter
JUST ENERGY TRANSITION COMMUNITY (JETC), a regional coalition promoting clean energy, said it is expanding its partnership with a Philippine non-technical company.fit to improve renewable energy (RE) access to rural Philippines.
“In the Philippines, JETC is currently in active dialogue with the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), whose work focuses on expanding RE access to agricultural cooperatives and rural businesses throughout Mindanao,” Jamie Choi, CEO of the Tara Climate Foundation, JETC’s founding group, said in an email.
The JETC was convened in 2025 by the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) based in Singapore, and non-professionals.fit organizations such as Tara Climate Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, among others.
At the Philanthropy Asia Summit in Singapore last week, hosted by PAA, JETC announced a $2.6 million investment for a just and inclusive energy transition across Southeast Asia.
“This will include access to clean energy across the region for farming and fishing communities, cooling solutions, support for workers, and responsible energy deployment, among others,” said Ms. Choi.
JETC has been collaborating with PEF for the deployment of RE technology in the southern Philippines.
JETC and PEF’s Program for the Use of Renewable Energy Production (PURE) is building a solar-powered coffee processing plant in Bukidnon.
Both groups are looking to expand the PURE campaign throughout Mindanao, according to Ms. Choi.
“JETC’s current discussions with the Peace and Equity Foundation focus on the ongoing Bukidnon pilot, supported by the Tara Climate Foundation, and the potential to expand this model to support more cooperatives throughout Mindanao,” he said.
Cauchie C. Garcia, deputy director of PEF, said the clean energy transition in the Philippines is challenged by issues of access and affordability.
“Electricity availability and accessibility will remain uneven, especially in rural and agricultural areas where many communities still have unreliable electricity, high electricity costs, or dependence on diesel-based systems,” he said in an email.
The high cost of RE technology makes rural businesses and electric cooperatives unaffordable, Ms. Garcia said.
He added that the country’s electrification campaign is focused on achieving targets rather than ensuring joint adoption of children.
“Discussions on energy transition are often organized mainly around the goals of electricity generation, rather than focusing on livelihoods and local economic development,” Ms. Garcia.
RE accounts for 25% of the Philippines’ energy mix by the end of 2025.
The Department of Energy (DoE) aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity generation mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
RE infrastructure should also be compatible with local supply chains, he added.
“Without linking renewable energy investment to productive use, there is a risk that the benefits of the transition will remain concentrated in large urban or commercial markets,” said Ms. Garcia.
The Philippines, an oil importer, is facing an ongoing oil crisis, as price and supply volatility linked to the Iran crisis continues to weigh on the energy sector.
Ms. Choi also expects an increase in philanthropic funding for the clean energy transition, especially as more RE solutions enter the market.
He mentioned community solar microgrids in the Philippines, agrisolar cooperatives in South Korea, and clean cold chain infrastructure in Indonesia.
“Against the backdrop of the current global energy crisis, financiers see this connection clearly,” said Ms. Choi.
