DOE headed for another leadership change?

MANILA, Philippines — Industry buzz surrounding Energy Secretary Sharon Garin’s possible exit has grown louder as Filipinos continue to face high electricity and fuel prices.

Speculation intensified after Garin, known for documenting her public engagements through selfies, was noticeably missing from several high-profile energy events last week such as the Department of Energy (DOE)’s nuclear regulatory framework workshop, held in partnership with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Nuclear Energy Agency.

The energy chief was also absent at the ceremonial first gas flow of the Malampaya Phase 4 project at the Malampaya Onshore Gas Plant in Batangas, which President Marcos led.

Her absence from these events has fueled talk that she could be the next Cabinet official to be replaced in yet another leadership shake-up as Marcos enters the final stretch of his term.

But as questions mount over Garin’s political future, a top official of the Philippine Solar and Storage Energy Alliance (PSSEA) said the energy sector needs leadership continuity.

“We cannot afford a change at this time,” PSSEA chairperson Tetchi Capellan said, amid growing calls for Garin to leave.

With less than two years left in the Marcos administration, Capellan warned that appointing a new energy chief could only stall the DOE’s ongoing programs and activities.

“Anybody who comes into the department will study and tiptoe until they are confirmed by the Commission (on Appointments),” she stressed. “All the GEAs (green energy auctions) will stop, and all the other activities that we need to finish will stand still.”

Consumer and transport groups have called for Garin’s resignation, citing the DOE’s failure to address persistently high electricity rates and fuel prices.

The Power for People Coalition also criticized her for failing to prevent red and yellow alerts in the Visayas, which triggered rotational blackouts.

Garin, a certified public accountant and lawyer by profession, joined the DOE as an undersecretary in 2022 and took the helm of the agency as secretary in July 2025. 

She has continued the programs of her predecessor Raphael Lotilla while pursuing a crackdown on non-compliant energy firms, including those linked to Batangas lawmaker Leandro Leviste.

Her first year in office also coincided with the Middle East crisis, which pushed domestic fuel prices to record highs.

“The person whom they are contemplating, if they ever have one, will be faced with the same challenges: the Strait of Hormuz, increasing diesel prices. It is out of our hands. A change is not really good for the industry, not at this point,” Capellan said.