Groups to pioneer climate-sustainable energy systems as just transition value chain
- Media Communications
- Jan 18
- 3 min read
La Carlota City, Philippines — The Hacienda Esperanza Communal Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (HECARBA), Alter Trade Foundation Inc. (ATFI), and Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) entered into an agreement on Jan. 16, 2026, to work together to operationalize a distributive renewable energy (RE) microsystems in their community in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental. The system is envisioned as a value chain to build a climate-resilient local economy.
“If we want a climate-resilient economy in the future, we must pursue a just transition to clean renewables. The rapid scaling up of renewable energy must redound to sustainable, resilient economic development. To get into this tract, value chains on clean, renewable, and sustainable local production and economy are very important drivers. This is happening now in Negros Occidental. The transition is not just to RE, but also to a society that protects and sustains both people and the planet,” said Ian Rivera, PMCJ national coordinator.
The Distributive RE Microsystems towards Community Empowerment through Resiliency Building Sustainable Production and Area Development Enterprise (DREM2CERSPADE) program will be realized and coursed through HECARBA farmers’ muscovado plant production. PMCJ and ATFI will help farmers secure funding and acquire the necessary technology for the project.
“Through a solar photovoltaic (PV) setup, HECARBA farmers will develop a democratically-owned, operated, and managed distributive RE microsystems in their muscovado plant. This off-grid system will be integrated into the community's muscovado production, which has already been successful for decades in increasing the community's incomes. However, livelihoods and incomes have been severely affected at the onset of the climate crisis. In our collective study, integrating clean energy and sustainable agricultural practices with the community's existing economic enterprise is what DREM2CERSPADE is all about. This is integrating a new value chain to already successful practices of the farmers' cooperative,” said Edwin Tesaluna, PMCJ senior RE officer.
In November 2025, Typhoon Tino ravaged the Visayas region and left 44 dead in Negros Occidental alone. More than 48 thousand houses were damaged in the province as well.
“Thousands of families are still living in evacuation centers due to the June 2025 Kanlaon eruption and Typhoon Tino's devastation. Now that we are experiencing rains from Typhoon Ada, our fear for the worst rises. Our community is aware of the exacerbating climate crisis as we experience livelihood loss, displacement, and other grim effects first-hand. As we learned how we can make a difference by improving our enterprise and empowering our farming community, we couldn’t be more thankful or determined. Let us work together for our common goal to fight for climate justice,” said Ka Lito Estama, HECARBA chairperson.
“ATFI and HECARBA have already demonstrated the success of the organic muscovado production in turning around the hapless socio-economic condition of the community due to the hacienda system of production. ATFI has developed a value chain for community empowerment through resilient, sustainable economic production and area development. This community-owned and managed socio-economic business model will integrate with a sustainable public-interest financial system to sustain DREM2CERSPADE and replicate it across more than 1,000 farmers' cooperatives in Negros Occidental. The interesting point here is that the benefits of a public interest financial system owned by the community will help realize the agro-ecology of the area,” stressed Ted Lopez, ATFI executive director.
PMCJ and ATFI, with HECARBA, want to promote the project as a community-based RE and just transition model for grassroots resilience, to be replicated in many vulnerable rural communities across the country.
“We have started a partnership with local governments through a subnational strategy in shifting energy systems to clean renewables, and we are being confronted with the situation that there are thousands of marginalized communities in the Philippines, such as in the Bicol region, which are in the same situation as that in Negros Occidental. In partnership with these LGUs, we can hasten the transition of these communities. We are grateful to HECARBA for serving as the pilot area for popularizing this just transition program in the Negros Island region. We can't wait to see this unfold,” said Rivera. ###
FOR INQUIRIES:
Sheila Abarra
Senior Media and Communications Officer
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Viber: +639916692356
WhatsApp: +639380898327
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