Climate conversations are usually held in rooms people have to choose to enter.

But in the Philippines, where daily life happens in malls, Climate Tracker Asia found itself in a rare and important space: bringing the conversation to where people already are.

For this women-led forum, held at the UGF Activity Area of Gateway Mall 1 in Cubao, Quezon City, the opportunity was clear. The event was part of Araneta City’s Earth Hour program, InnovatHERs: Women in Science, which opened up a public space for conversations on climate, science, and community.

Cubao is one of Metro Manila’s busiest hubs, a central meeting point where people pass through, gather, and spend their weekends. On any given day, especially a weekend, the mall becomes a cross-section of everyday Filipino life.

And the timing could not have been more urgent.

As global oil prices rise due to escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, countries like the Philippines, heavily dependent on imported fuel, are feeling the strain. The government has declared an energy emergency, warning of possible supply instability and rising electricity costs.

Because in the Philippines, the mall is more than a commercial space. It is where people meet, rest, wait out the heat, and spend their time.

And if climate change and energy costs are affecting everyone, then the conversation cannot stay inside closed rooms. It has to meet people where they are.

Not Technical. Not Complicated. Just Stories.

Moderated by Climate Tracker Asia Director Biena Magbitang, the session opened with a deliberate shift in tone.

“Kapag narinig natin ang salitang climate change, parang mabigat agad,” she said. (When we hear the words climate change, it immediately feels heavy.)

“So today, we will do things a little bit differently. Hindi muna technical. Hindi muna complicated.” (Not with technical or complicated discussions.)

Instead of jargon, the event centered on stories.

“Climate action is not just about data and policies. It is about people choosing to care, act, and lead in their own ways.”

Energy, Justice, and Everyday Life

Maris Cardenas of the Center for Empowerment, Innovation and Training on Renewable Energy (CENTRE), grounded the conversation in one of the most immediate realities for Filipinos: electricity.

Her message landed at a critical time. In recent weeks, global oil prices have surged amid geopolitical tensions, driving up fuel costs and putting pressure on electricity prices. In a country where power costs are already among the highest in the region, this translates quickly into everyday burden. This is not abstract. Higher fuel prices mean higher transport costs. Higher electricity bills. Tighter household budgets.

Against this backdrop, Cardenas explained that renewable energy is not only about shifting away from coal or fossil fuels. It is about ensuring that access to electricity is fair, stable, and reliable for everyone.

“Isang usapin ng social justice ang pagkakaroon ng energy equity,” she said. (Energy equity is a matter of social justice.)

In a country where access remains uneven, energy is not just a technical issue. It is tied to dignity, livelihood, education, and opportunity.

Cardenas also spoke candidly about the challenges women face in the energy sector, which remains highly technical and male-dominated. Her message was clear: more women need to enter the space, and they can.

The Environment Is Not Somewhere Else

Environmental lawyer Aya de Leon of Forest Foundation Philippines brought the discussion closer to home.

For many Filipinos, the environment is imagined as something distant. A forest, a mountain, a coastline far from the city. But de Leon challenged this idea by saying that the environment “is everything around us”. From the clothes people wear to the food they eat, from water access to livelihoods, climate change is already embedded in everyday life.

She also emphasized nature-based solutions, or working with nature to address climate impacts. Protecting mangroves, for example, can reduce storm damage, support livelihoods, and strengthen biodiversity, all at once.

Hope, Action, and the Power of Youth

For Krishna Ariola of Youth for Climate Hope, the conversation turned to youth and collective action. She shared how her journey began not from a single moment, but from growing up in Negros Occidental, surrounded by communities already shaped by agriculture and environmental advocacy. Her organization itself was born from frustration, but sustained by something more powerful.

“Hindi sustainable ang galit. What will take us further is hope.” (Anger is not sustainable.)

That hope, she explained, comes from community, from shared action, and from the realization that solutions already exist across different sectors.

“It is not only necessary for us to get out of this crisis,” Ariola said. “It is very, very possible.”

Making Climate Action Feel Possible

In the panel discussion, the speakers tackled a question that resonated across the space: where do ordinary people fit into climate action? The answers were practical and grounded.

• Start with awareness.
• Understand your electricity consumption.
• Reduce waste.
• Support local communities.
• Find like-minded people.

And most importantly, do not assume that climate work belongs only to experts.

By the end of the session, the message was clear. “You do not need to be a scientist or an expert to care about the climate,” Magbitang said. “You just need to start where you are.”

Because the climate crisis may be global and complex, but the response begins in everyday spaces, with everyday people, making everyday choices. And sometimes, it begins in a mall.