How can offshore wind drive national transformation?

2026 is shaping up to be a turning point for offshore wind (OSW) in the Philippines. The impending opening of the Green Energy Auction programme marks a shift from groundwork to execution, building on earlier developments such as the formalisation of a permitting and consenting regime and the awarding of OSW contracts to service providers. Together, these have enabled the realisation of this nascent technology in the energy-constrained archipelago.

As OSW development gains steam, a bigger question emerges: can offshore wind not only provide a new, sustainable source of energy but transform the country as well? This took centre stage during the launch of a report by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), in cooperation with NIRAS, on 17 March, where industry veterans, policymakers, and other stakeholders examined its broader implications for the Philippines.

The report, Offshore Wind for Coastal Development Socio-Economic Study, focusses on San Miguel Bay and the Guimaras Strait, the country’s most advanced project sites. It assesses both macroeconomic impacts and site-level readiness, highlighting opportunities for policymakers, developers, and host communities.

With this the study, GWEC hopes to prompt a broader conversation on scaling offshore wind. “We want to understand what will make communities, local governments, and the wider ecosystem say yes to offshore wind,” said Ann Margret Francisco, GWEC Asia-Pacific Country Director.

Where the real gains lie

According to Jigs Consolacion, GWEC Senior Policy Development Officer, the direct economic benefits of OSW are already well-established. A 3.5-gigawatt pipeline could contribute up to PHP 77 billion (EUR 1.116 billion) to the economy and attract USD 8.85 billion (EUR 7.699 billion) in foreign investment over its lifetime.

But the report argues that the bigger gains lie elsewhere. Most jobs — up to 239,000 annually, generating PHP 40 billion (EUR 580 million) in labour income — are expected to come not from the wind sector itself, but from spillovers into agriculture, fisheries, retail, and transport.

Capturing these benefits will depend on early and sustained community engagement. “It should start during pre-development so the social licence to operate is more meaningful and sustainable,” Consolacion said. To that end, the report outlines mechanisms such as a national framework for benefit-sharing, capacity-building programmes, and closer coordination with host communities. “We are starting the conversation and laying out the universe of options we can implement in the Philippines,” he added.

Making inclusion work

Stakeholders echoed the call for a more inclusive approach to OSW development. Communities, they argued, must be treated as partners rather than passive recipients. “Communities should not be looked at as beneficiaries of ayudas,” said Mayette Rodriguez, Executive Director of NGOs for Fisheries Reform. “They should be co-authors.”

That requires transparency and coordination across sectors. “Well-informed community discussion should not just focus on livelihoods but the whole impact,” said Jun Amolo, Country Head for Ocean Energy Pathway. Iloilo Provincial Board Member, Rolando Distura, added that projects must draw on local data and institutions. “If people are not involved, this will not progress.”

Local knowledge, too, is critical. “It is they who know how the seasons change and how this affects them,” said Jonathan Catalla of Forum for the Future, adding that co-ownership emboldens locals to really claim the benefits of OSW projects.

Ultimately, stakeholders framed OSW as part of a broader social transition. “A just transition isn’t just about shifting energy sources,” Consolacion said. “It’s about ensuring people and their livelihoods remain at the centre.”

Winning trust on the ground

Another theme of the event was the role of public trust in OSW development. An Ocean Energy Pathway and Gabay Research Philippines study,  previewed at the gathering, found that just 21% of coastal residents in the two project areas say they understand the technology.

“Even before projects are introduced, building trust includes informing communities about what offshore wind is and why it matters,” said Jeo Salustiano,  Gabay President. “Without understanding, trust cannot be built.”

He argued that projects must do more than avoid harm. They must deliver tangible benefits. “It’s not all about the project itself; it’s about everything that surrounds that project,” he said, echoing earlier discussions.

The survey’s results cemented the need for co-ownership, where communities should not simply survive but also thrive alongside OSW developments. Most importantly, that includes protecting livelihoods. “If you build an offshore wind project in that area, you're not just taking away opportunities to earn — you could be taking away their food,” Salustiano warned. “If it’s not a better outcome than what they have now, why would they agree?”

Building local capacity

If most of OSW’s benefits are to come from indirect effects, then building a domestic value chain becomes essential. This was echoed by a panel on industrial growth and workforce readiness, where stakeholders stressed the need to develop local capabilities alongside project deployment.

For the Department of Energy, that means building capacity from port infrastructure to construction and maintenance. “We want to bring them home,” said DOE Senior Research Specialist Clarita De Jesus, referring to Filipino engineers working abroad, adding that pay must remain competitive. The challenge is to localise jobs without raising costs for developers. “We want to do this with, as much as possible, Filipinos. We want to own this.”

Alma Roxas Aguila of Aguila Renewable Energy Solutions said the immediate priority is ensuring workforce readiness meets international standards, particularly as early projects get under way. “I think we’re already doing it now, especially for the first batch of offshore wind developers,” she said, adding that developers could coordinate efforts on training and upskilling.

Poch Ambrosio, ACEN External Affairs Vice President, noted that gaps remain in industrial-scale manufacturing, even as the country has a skilled workforce. He pointed to the need for deliberate efforts to grow the supply chain, including policies that promote local hiring. “We need to demand that some of the people they bring in are Filipinos, so that we can start building local capability,” he said.

Financiers have applauded the government’s push while offering a reality check. “What we're facing now is the reality of cramming,” said Ceejay Hernandez of HSBC, arguing that building local industries and talent must begin now if the country is to meet its offshore wind targets. “We're trying to fly the plane while we build it,” he added.

Keeping people at the centre

In a keynote address, Jacqueline Caancan, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), stressed the need for environmental governance that ensures OSW strengthens, rather than competes with, the blue economy. “The success of the Philippine offshore wind sector ultimately rests on a simple but powerful principle: environmental integrity is economic security,” she said.

Cancaan presented the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau as a partner to developers, tasked with ensuring that rigorous assessments lead to projects that can coexist with communities. She also announced a to-be-released enhanced framework, Administrative Order 2026-09, for issuing environmental compliance certificates for OSW projects. 

Wen Huang, Renewables Director at NIRAS Taiwan, reiterated that beyond auctions, policy frameworks, and investment figures, OSW is ultimately about people. “When all stakeholders work together, they develop not only technology but also social systems and agreements. That is when you truly see how offshore wind can transform society,” he said.

For Huang, the Philippines stands at an early but promising stage. Armed with global best practices and local insight, it is not only catching up but could also offer lessons of its own. “Now it is the Philippines’ turn,” he said. “It is a starting point for people to think about what can do to ensure that offshore wind development becomes a key driver of energy transition, sustainable development, and societal benefit in the Philippines.”