In the Asia-Pacific region, a key ambition for the Philippines is to become a hub for liquefied natural gas (LNG). This fuel is marketed as a "better" alternative to coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel driving climate change. But this promise dimmed when a wave of LNG projects clustered in Batangas City beginning in 2023, drawn by what proponents described as “existing infrastructure networks and pipelines for natural gas,” said Gerry Arances, executive director of Center for Environment, Ecology, and Development. Years later, the impacts of these facilities continue to stain the waters of Verde Island Passage (VIP), the strait beside Batangas Bay long regarded as an underwater sanctuary.

Richter, M. T. (2025, December 13). The unseen toll of progress on the Verde Island Passage. Manila Bulletin, p. B-5.