Philippines Proposes Geofencing 3 Million Hectares to Protect Farmland from Renewable Energy Encroachment

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has proposed geofencing approximately 3 million hectares of agricultural land, particularly rice-growing areas, to prevent their conversion into solar farm sites. Secretary Laurel met with Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin to discuss ways to expand solar energy capacity without losing land critical to food production. The DA said it plans to digitally map and establish geographic boundaries around priority agricultural areas, guiding energy developers on where their projects should not be located. Mr. Laurel said the DA wants flat land suitable for growing rice to be reserved for agricultural use. The DA will also identify between 1,000 to 2,000 priority agricultural areas and cross-check them against current and awarded energy projects to prevent conflict and overlaps, with Mr. Laurel asking the DoE to provide a list of such projects. The DA and the DoE are in discussions with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on whether savings under the green energy option program can be reflected in electricity rates for qualified agricultural users. The DA and the DoE are planning to sign a memorandum of agreement in October to formalize the partnership. Potential beneficiaries of the partnership include irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, rice mills, cold storage plants, slaughterhouses, farms, fishponds, and other food production operations. Agriculture Undersecretary Roger V. Navarro and Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevarra have been tasked to develop a Farm-to-Energy Framework with the ERC to explore how farmers and fisherfolk could benefit from renewable energy. “The framework will help proponents under the Agricultural Energy category lower electricity costs, generate savings, and strengthen incomes across the sector,” Mr. Navarro said. Mr. Laurel said energy security cannot come at the cost of food security. “The country must be able to keep the lights on without putting at risk the land that keeps food on tables,” Mr. Laurel said in a statement. “Our goal now is to ensure that both these pressing needs are addressed in a way that benefits the country without sacrificing one for the other,” he added. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza