PMCJ raises red flag on DA's converting agri lands for renewables, Secretary Laurel’s consistent abhorrence of Philippine agriculture
- Media Communications
- Mar 15
- 3 min read
Quezon City, Philippines — The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) vehemently reacts to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for allowing farmland conversion for renewable energy and socialized housing projects. The climate justice group states that the DA is creating another layer of problems on top of the climate crisis mess.
The DA described the exemption as a “limited carve-out” intended to balance competing national priorities, allowing critical energy and housing developments to proceed while maintaining restrictions on most farmland conversions.
“Secretary Laurel is killing Philippine agriculture and the food source of many Filipinos. From being accused of negligence for its failure to protect the 15-km municipal waters from destructive commercial fishing vessels, it has now found a stupid reason to justify the annihilation of the country’s ailing agriculture. PMCJ strongly rejects this idea from the DA and warns Secretary Laurel that this is a criminal act,” said Laica Rayel, PMCJ senior campaigner for Food, Land, Water, and Climate (FLWC).
Rayel emphasized that under Philippine law, specifically Republic Act (RA) No. 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law), "illegal conversion" is a defined crime prosecuted by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Rayel says Secretary Laurel needs to be educated about climate change. While many countries are protecting their agriculture in anticipation of intense climate change impacts, the DA Secretary intentionally pushes us to vulnerability. Studies show that Philippine agriculture is already in a precarious situation due to climate change.
A series of strong weather events, like the recent parade of typhoons, has caused huge losses and destruction to agricultural production. Compounding this is a study of a Philippine agricultural policy institute that shows irrigated rice lands are particularly vulnerable to conversion due to urban expansion. The study emphasized that agricultural land in Tarlac has decreased due to the conversion of land into solar power farms.
“Researchers discovered that from 2017 to 2022, agricultural lands in Tarlac decreased by around 50 percent. This is not how a just, rapid, and equitable transition to renewable energy (RE) system should be done,” Rayel stressed.
PMCJ senior RE officer Edwin Tesaluna highlights the Department of Energy's endorsement of a floating solar project in Laguna de Bay last year, and how it made fisherfolk’s livelihood collide with our RE transition.
“One of the core reasons why we emphasize that it should be a ‘just’ RE transition and not just a plain RE transition, is we can’t compromise other sectors’ interests, let alone the marginalized communities, for the sake of RE transition. Not only are our farmers and fisherfolk responsible for securing our food, but they’re also taking the frontlines in our fight for climate justice and the protection of land for food and agriculture. We call on farmers and fisherfolk to exercise their collective strength and pressure the DA to recall the order and to install and implement policies to protect the marginalized from further misery,” said Tesaluna.
In the country's National Adaptation Plan (NAP), possible key provisions that indirectly support land conversion for RE and housing can be found. Those provisions on strategic land-use planning, RE transition, and climate-resilient settlements provide policy space that can be used to justify controlled land conversion for RE and socialized housing projects.
“The government is consistent with its lip service on the ‘whole-of-government’ approach to climate action, RE transition, food security, and many others, but remains business-driven. Because it is protecting big business, it violates the common interest and feasts on policies that destroy the planet and the people. This has to be stopped immediately. We need a government that understands the climate crisis and prepares the people on how to survive the impacts,” Rayel ended. ###
For inquiries, contact:Sheila Abarra
Senior Media and Communications Officer
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice
Viber: +639916692356
WhatsApp: +639380898327
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