The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are moving to draw a clearer line between land that can power the country and land that must feed it.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has proposed geofencing around 3 million hectares of flat agricultural land, particularly rice-producing areas, to protect prime farmland as the Philippines accelerates its shift toward renewable energy and prepares for the next Green Energy Auction (GEA).
The proposal emerged from recent discussions between Tiu Laurel and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin on how to expand solar capacity without allowing energy projects to crowd out land critical to food production.
Under the plan, the DA would digitally map and establish geographic boundaries around priority agricultural areas. The system would give energy developers a clearer guide on where projects should not be located, while helping identify areas that could accommodate renewable energy investments without compromising food production.
Tiu Laurel said the DA has already identified flat rice lands that should remain dedicated to agriculture. The next step is to map and geofence them.
“We need energy security, but it 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 Filipino tables,” Tiu Laurel said.
The DA is also pressing for the renewable energy transition to deliver direct benefits to farmers and fishers, particularly through lower electricity costs.
Officials discussed possible mechanisms that could connect renewable energy suppliers under the GEA, the Green Energy Option, and the Retail Competition and Open Access framework with qualified agricultural users.
Potential beneficiaries include irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, rice mills, cold storage plants, slaughterhouses, farms, fishponds, and other food production operations where electricity costs can significantly affect production expenses.
The DOE is examining how renewable energy suppliers and distribution utilities could participate in the arrangement. The agencies are also discussing with the Energy Regulatory Commission whether savings under the GEO could eventually be reflected in electricity rates for qualified agricultural users.
The DA and DOE are targeting an October 2026 memorandum of agreement to formalize their partnership.
The DA will also identify between 1,000 and 2,000 priority agricultural areas and cross-check them against existing and awarded energy projects to prevent conflicts and overlaps.
Tiu Laurel asked the DOE to provide a list of ongoing and awarded projects so regional agriculture officials can distinguish approved developments from proposals still under evaluation.
Meanwhile, 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 ways organized farmers and fisherfolk can 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,” Navarro said.
The DA-DOE initiative seeks to address two urgent national priorities without allowing one to undermine the other.
“Our goal now, the DOE and the DA, is to ensure that both these pressing needs of Filipinos are addressed in a way that benefits the country without sacrificing one for the other,” Tiu Laurel said. ### (By DA – OSEC Comms)
