Jhian Aranas

Editor’s Note: Mark Gil Nuguit serves as ICSC’s RE-Charge Pilipinas Innovations Officer, based in the organization’s regional office in Tacloban City, Leyte. I was fortunate to be part of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) five-person Team that facilitated the Solar Scholars Training in Nadi, Fiji, last May, to teach 14 community leaders from Fiji, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu how to assemble, install, and maintain community solar photovoltaic systems (CSPVS).

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, July 8, 2026 — The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), in partnership with the Municipality of Alangalang, Leyte, conducted the Renewable Energy (RE) Roadmap Scoping Workshop from June 22 to 25. This positions Alangalang as the first local government unit (LGU) in the province to develop a roadmap aimed at strengthening local energy security and accelerating RE transition. The four-day workshop also marks the start of Alangalang’s long-term energy planning.

Across Seas, Under the same sun By Sophia Kaye Fernandez “I am happy.” This was what the community leaders told me when I asked them about the installation of the solar PV systems in Fiji. At first, I wanted something else: A tearful story. A life-changing testimony. A quote that can perfectly translate how renewable energy can help a community, something that I can easily write about that would leave a lasting impression.