Oxfam Pilipinas joined Investing in Women's launch of reports on gender norms and the care economy on 17 June 2026 in Makati City.

By Francis Allan L. Angelo (This article was originally published by the Daily Guardian on July 6, 2026. View the original article.)   Oxfam Pilipinas cautioned that the Philippines’ rise to upper-middle-income country (UMIC) status under the World Bank’s income classification “means little if millions of Filipinos remain poor, vulnerable to climate disasters and other crises, and […]

The Philippines' rise to upper-middle-income status may seem a milestone, but it means little if millions of Filipinos remain poor, vulnerable to climate disasters and other crises, and historically excluded from public services and opportunities, as issues such as deepening inequality and systemic corruption continue to plague the country.

Communities have been told that renewable energy is the solution to the country’s overlapping crises of climate vulnerability, high electricity costs, and dependence on fossil fuels. But for many Filipinos, the transition has not felt clean, safe, or fair. Across urban-poor communities, lakeshore villages, provincial schools, and agricultural barangays, people are asking the same questions: Who decides what kind of energy projects are built? Who benefits? And who bears the cost?