{"id":69214,"date":"2026-05-17T15:40:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T07:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/?p=69214"},"modified":"2026-05-17T15:49:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T07:49:58","slug":"how-the-global-energy-crisis-is-impacting-small-islanders-in-the-philippines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/philippines\/story\/69214\/how-the-global-energy-crisis-is-impacting-small-islanders-in-the-philippines\/","title":{"rendered":"How the global energy crisis is impacting small islanders in the Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(First published on OdetteCase.org<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Amid the rising price of fuel and Big Oil\u2019s super profits, Filipinos are more immersed than ever in their case against Shell.<\/h2>\n\n
\"Filipino
Pictured in the foreground: Arnold Obguia
\u00a9 Victor Kintanar \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cThey are getting richer while we are the ones suffering.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

That\u2019s how Arnold Obguia, a Filipino fisherman, describes today\u2019s energy crisis.<\/p>\n\n

In the first month of the US-Iran conflict, oil giants pulled in an extra $30 million per hour<\/a> as fuel costs skyrocketed. Shell\u2019s CEO, Wael Sawan, received a total of \u00a313.8 million in 2025-26<\/a> as millions across the world struggled with rising energy bills.<\/p>\n\n

Nowhere is this struggle more visible than in coastal communities in the Philippines, where a national State of Energy Emergency has been declared<\/a> because of energy supply shortages. Not only are these communities suffering from the energy crisis, but also from climate change driven by the same companies profiting from it.<\/p>\n\n

For fishing communities, fuel costs determine whether they can go out to sea and earn enough to feed their families. As prices rise and supplies dwindle, the margin for survival shrinks.<\/p>\n\n

How is the energy crisis affecting people in the Philippines?<\/h3>\n\n

In Batasan, Trixy Elle and her family rely on fishing. She and her spouse head out to sea each day, raising two children on what they catch. She describes life as \u201ca big challenge\u201d now because of the energy crisis.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

\u201cIf the catch is small, it\u2019s just enough for rice,\u201d she shares. \u201cEven if we earn 500 pesos (\u00a37) a day, it\u2019s still not enough.\u201d Water has become more expensive due to drought. The heat is intensifying. And as fuel prices rise, everything else follows. \u201cIt feels like when fuel prices went up, everything else did too,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n

In Bilangbilangan, Arnold is feeling the same. \u201cThose of us who are struggling to make ends meet are affected by the rising prices of oil and basic goods,\u201d he says. For those already struggling with climate change, the ripple effects of global conflict and oil price hikes make the situation even worse. <\/p>\n\n

Oil companies profit, but people suffer<\/h3>\n\n

When asked about oil companies profiting from the crisis, Trixy says, \u201cIt is disappointing and angering. They continue to make huge profits while ordinary people are struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\"Activists
Trixy Elle with Greenpeace activists and partners helped unveil the Polluters’ Climate Bill at COP30 in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil.
\u00a9 Tuane Fernandes \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Arnold\u2019s words are quieter, but no less powerful: \u201cIt\u2019s sad because they are getting richer while we are the ones suffering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Neither Trixy nor Arnold speak only of their own situation as they address people in countries like the UK, where rising energy bills are also being felt.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis is not just an energy crisis. This is about humanity,\u201d Trixy says. \u201cLet us stand together and call for accountability. We have the power to act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

A different kind of energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n
\"Bohol
Residents of Bilangbilangan and Batasan Islands, with support of local government units, Greenpeace, and partners have installed solar panels and charging stations to strengthen their climate response capabilities and transition away from fossil fuel dependence.
\u00a9 Ivan Joeseff Guiwanon \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

For Arnold and other fisherfolk, access to solar power has provided a small but meaningful shift. Bilangbilangan and Batasan are among the communities that benefited from a community solar project<\/a> led by local government units, Greenpeace Philippines, and partners following the devastation of Super Typhoon Odette in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n

\u201cSolar power has been a big help to us fisherfolk, as we can charge our batteries for use at sea and for everyday needs as an alternative power source,\u201d Arnold says.<\/p>\n\n

For them, while it is not a complete solution, it offers something the current system does not: a degree of control. A buffer against volatility and a glimpse of what it means for communities, not corporations, to benefit from energy. While the fossil fuel industry keeps trying to lock us into a dangerous, depleting resource, this is a glimpse of an alternative that is not only cheaper and more stable, but is also really possible.<\/p>\n\n

Fueling the fight for justice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

For Trixy and Arnold, this crisis is not just something to endure. It has sharpened their determination to fight.<\/p>\n\n

Both are among the claimants in the Odette Case<\/strong>, a growing effort by Odette survivors to hold Shell accountable for its role in driving the climate impacts that continue to devastate their communities.<\/p>\n\n

Their stories \u2014 of rising fuel prices, shrinking incomes, and deepening hardship \u2014 are not separate from this fight. They are part of the same system in which companies that contribute most to climate change continue to expand fossil fuel production and profit from global instability. And where communities like theirs are left to face both the immediate shocks of price hikes and the long-term impacts of stronger storms and environmental degradation.<\/p>\n\n

Trixy hopes the case sends a clear message: \u201cThat this becomes a reminder to polluting companies to be more mindful of the impacts of their business\u2026 and that people can fight back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

For Arnold, the aspiration is just as clear: \u201cThat we achieve what we are fighting for in terms of climate justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

This is what fuels their fight \u2014 not just anger, but a demand for fairness. Not just survival, but accountability. Because for communities on the frontlines, justice is not abstract. It is about whether livelihoods can be rebuilt. Whether future storms will bring the same devastation. Whether those who profited will finally be made to answer for it.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Climate scientists say the extreme weather brought by Odette was made more likely by climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion. <\/span>This landmark case is the first of its kind and scale against an oil and gas company for deaths, injuries, and property damage that have already occurred.

The case, filed in London where Shell\u2019s global headquarters is located, addresses the company\u2019s historic carbon emissions, as well as its deception and disinformation<\/span> about climate change, which it has known about since 1965.

Support Arnold, Trixy, and more super typhoon survivors in their fight for survival and our common future. Sign the petition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\n
SIGN HERE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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