THE Philippines has introduced the most fossil fuel and renewable energy (RE) policies in the region from February to July this year.
Citing a report from research group Zero Carbon Analytics, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Philippines has introduced the most energy policies since the start of the Iran conflict, with 22 in total, leading in both fossil fuel and renewable energy policies.
‘This is likely due to its declaration of a national energy emergency on March 24, 2026,’ Garin said.
The policies are a combination of immediate oil procurement and price controls with long-term clean energy acceleration.
‘The declaration included a list of emergency relief measures, such as directly procuring oil and increasing government control over fuel prices, as well as longer-term steps to accelerate renewables, EVs and energy efficiency across all sectors,’ she added.
The report indicates that the Philippines leads in the total number of renewables and electrification policies released, at 13.
The DOE aims to increase renewable energy’s share in the power mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, focusing on solar, wind, and geothermal projects.
Also, EV sales have accelerated sharply, supported by the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act promoting sustainable transport adoption.
‘Our analysis found that more of the renewable energy and electrification policies introduced since the war focus on long-term change, with implementation periods of roughly three years or more, while more fossil fuel policies focus on temporary measures, to be implemented in less than six months,’ the Brussels-based group said.
It also noted that renewables and electrification are seen as long-term solutions for future energy systems, while fossil fuel policies were primarily focused on temporary relief.
The Philippines introduced at least seven solar power policies since the start of the war. The proposed Sariling Kuryente Act, for instance, aims to make solar and battery energy storage system installation easier for households by removing permitting requirements and utility-applied charges, while the DOE fast-tracked net-metering applications to help lower electricity bills.
‘These measures align with the Philippines’ overall ramp-up of solar in the past year: during the first five months of the war, the Philippines imported more than double the amount of solar capacity from China compared to the same period last year,’ it said.
Besides the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand have released the most clean energy policies, at seven and six, respectively. Both countries have issued policies that aim to restructure the current energy system.
‘These findings indicate that governments of Southeast Asian countries, many of which have abundant renewable energy resouces, are looking to renewables and electrification as the long-term solution to fossil fuel-related power crises,’ it said.
Conducted in August, the analysis covered the six-month period from February to July 2026 during the Iran crisis.