As the United States enforces a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz – the chokepoint through which nearly one-fifth of global oil flows – the world is confronting a stark reminder of geopolitical reality. Global crude prices have surged overnight, supply chains are tightening, and the ripple effects are already reaching Philippine shores. Jeepney drivers in Manila’s EDSA, fishermen in General Santos, factory workers in Cavite, and rice farmers in Central Luzon will soon feel the pain in higher fuel costs, elevated electricity rates, and climbing prices for basic goods.
Yet while Washington has acted decisively to safeguard its interests and those of its allies, the European Union’s public response has been distilled into one memorably tone-deaf soundbite from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: “The cheapest energy is the one you don’t use.”
Stay home. Dim the lights. Skip the trip. Monitor the situation.
This is not prudent governance. This is the language of managed decline.
Young Filipino leaders – from Sangguniang Kabataan chairs in remote barangays to student council presidents in UP Diliman, from young congressmen and governors to the next generation of senators and cabinet secretaries – must take note. The von der Leyen model is a cautionary tale, not a template. Emulating it would be a strategic error our energy-vulnerable, archipelagic nation cannot afford.
Europe’s predicament did not appear overnight. For more than a decade, the continent systematically dismantled its own energy security. Germany shuttered nuclear plants in the name of the Energiewende, only to become more dependent on Russian gas until the war in Ukraine exposed the folly. Coal and domestic oil exploration were demonized across the EU. Massive subsidies flowed into intermittent renewables while baseload power was neglected. When the inevitable crisis arrived, Europe had no independent naval capacity to project power in distant waters, no coherent strategic reserve, and no plan beyond urging citizens to consume less.
Von der Leyen’s statement perfectly captures the philosophy that replaced hard power with hashtags, industrial policy with virtue signaling, and national resilience with bureaucratic monitoring. It tells ordinary Europeans to accept scarcity as a moral virtue rather than demand abundance through ingenuity and strength. The result? Soaring energy prices that have already triggered industrial relocation, political backlash, and a continent increasingly reliant on American protection even as it lectures the world on climate morality.
The Philippines faces an even more unforgiving reality. We import more than 90 percent of our crude oil and a significant portion of our coal. Our power generation mix remains heavily dependent on imported fuels. Every peso increase in global oil prices translates directly into higher fares for the millions who rely on tricycles, jeepneys, and buses; elevated costs for irrigation pumps in Nueva Ecija and Iloilo; and added burdens on small and medium enterprises that employ the majority of our workforce. When oil spikes, inflation follows – hitting the poorest households hardest and threatening the hard-won gains in poverty reduction.
Compounding this vulnerability are our own territorial challenges. Chinese vessels continue to harass Filipino fishermen and resupply missions in the West Philippine Sea. Our energy future – including potential resources in Reed Bank – remains contested. In such a neighborhood, energy security is inseparable from national security.
This is why the von der Leyen doctrine is particularly dangerous for us. It offers the seductive illusion that clever slogans and international statements can substitute for domestic resilience and credible deterrence. It whispers that we can lecture our people to “use less” while avoiding the difficult decisions on nuclear power, expanded exploration, diversified suppliers, and modernized defense partnerships. It normalizes weakness.
Young leaders, this is your moment to reject that path.
Philippine leadership at every level must instead champion a doctrine of strength and foresight. Demand a genuine energy security strategy that embraces all viable sources – renewables where practical, but also a responsible revival of nuclear energy, continued responsible development of our own hydrocarbon resources, and strategic stockpiling. Strengthen and expand alliances – particularly with the United States under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and Mutual Defense Treaty – not as a sign of dependence but as a force multiplier for a nation that refuses to be pushed around in its own backyard. Invest in military modernization that protects not just territory but the sea lanes that carry our fuel.
Look beyond Europe’s example to what actually works. The United States has once again shown that when vital sea lanes and economic lifelines are threatened, decisive action – not observation – is the responsible choice. Closer to home, Filipino leaders who have prioritized infrastructure build-out, disaster resilience, and pragmatic diplomacy have delivered measurable improvements in their communities. That is the leadership worth studying.
The youth of this country are not inheriting a gentle world. You are stepping into an era of great-power competition, fragile supply chains, and recurring energy shocks. The leaders who will rise are those who refuse to manage decline and instead choose to build abundance. They will be the ones who tell the Filipino people the truth: sovereignty is not protected by monitoring committees; prosperity requires reliable, affordable power; and weakness in the face of aggression only invites more aggression.
Ursula von der Leyen’s Europe now stands as a living warning – a once-formidable continent reduced to hoping the storm passes while its citizens sit in the dark. The Philippines must choose differently.
To every young leader reading this: the Hormuz blockade is not distant foreign news. It is a direct warning to our economy, our security, and our future. Reject the counsel of scarcity. Embrace the responsibility of strength. Demand policies that prepare our nation before the next crisis arrives, not after.T
he coming decades will test whether the Philippines becomes a passive victim of global energy wars or a resilient, self-reliant player in the Indo-Pacific. That choice begins with you – right now.The time for slogans is over. The time for serious leadership has begun.