Leni Robredo lost the 2022 election by a landslide. Bongbong Marcos got 31 million votes. She got 15 million.

In March 2026, when he was asked about the fuel crisis, Marcos said he didn’t want to “get into that discussion.” In the same week, Mayor Leni Robredo of Naga City signed an order cutting fuel use in city departments so basic services could keep running.

That gap between the two of them is hard to unsee.

THE GENERIC ADVICE WE HEAR NOW

In the middle of this fuel and price crisis, the “solutions” we hear from national leaders sound very familiar:

• Government agencies should monitor fuel prices and study the impact on basic goods and transport.

• Committees and task forces should be formed to track prices and recommend measures.

• Local governments should ban or suspend caravans, parades, and other “non-essential” fuel-heavy activities.

• People should buy local, save fuel and electricity, and focus on “essentials.”

• Everyone is reminded to stay patient and not do anything “bad” even if life is hard.

On paper, it sounds like action. In real life, it feels like memos, committees, and reminders to tighten our belts.

This is why I miss Leni Robredo during a crisis like this. When she talked about these problems, she didn’t stop at “monitor” and “advise.” She went straight to what needed to move: which contracts should be approved, which energy permits were stuck, which coal plants should be retired, which taxes in our power bills could be adjusted, which laws and budgets had to be fixed if we wanted a different future.

A woman with substance, clarity, and a real heart for Filipinos — hindi tulad ng iba diyan sa tabi-tabi na ang sagot sa krisis ay puro task force, ban ng motorcade, at generic na “magtipid na lang tayo.”

ENERGY: SHE SAW THE WALL WE WERE HEADING TOWARD

During the CNN presidential debate in February 2022, Leni warned that by around 2024 our power supply could “dry up” and pointed to the Malampaya gas field, which powers a big part of Luzon. Fact-checkers later said that statement needed context, because government data at the time showed Malampaya’s gas reserves would probably last closer to 2027, not exactly 2024. She said that line in the middle of a campaign, reacting to those projections, at a time when the main Malampaya service contract was set to end in 2024 and there was still no serious plan for what would replace it.

So yes, the date she mentioned was sharper than the projection. But the warning itself was about something real: we were heavily relying on a gas field with a clear end date and acting like it would be there forever.

At a business forum in January 2022, she showed what a real plan could look like.

She talked about:

• Approving long-pending “service contracts” for local energy (gas, oil, geothermal) that had been stuck in the bureaucracy for years.

• Actually using the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop — an online system meant to let companies file and track energy permits in one place — and pushing the Anti-Red Tape Authority (the office in Malacañang that should cut government red tape) to make agencies move faster on these projects.

• Treating liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a “transition fuel,” a temporary bridge while we cut coal and oil and build more renewable sources like solar and wind, with the Department of Energy leading the job of securing supply so companies aren’t left to panic-buy.

• Making solar, wind, and geothermal the real long-term priority, and pushing big power users like factories in ecozones to build their own solar to ease pressure on the main grid.

• Building “mini-grids” — small power systems for remote areas — so far-flung communities don’t have to wait forever for the main grid to reach them.

She also went into our electric bills. In March 2022, she said government should review the value-added tax (VAT) in our power bills and consider directly subsidizing two items: “distribution” and “systems loss.” These are the charges for bringing electricity from plants to homes and for technical losses along the way. Her estimate was simple: if done right, this could trim around P600 from an average household’s bill each month.

She defended electric cooperatives (local power distributors that are owned by consumers) from automatic privatization. Her logic: when consumers own the coop, it behaves like a service; when a private company buys it, power becomes a product that must earn profit. And only a small number of coops were mismanaged, not the whole system.

On top of this, she pushed for a clear “coal retirement roadmap” — a schedule that says which coal plants will shut down when, and what will replace them — so the grid doesn’t collapse and investors know what to expect.

Now, in 2026:

• Coal still provides around 60–66% of our electricity.

• We still have some of the highest power rates in Southeast Asia, just after Singapore.

• Marcos renewed Malampaya’s main contract up to 2039, and a new gas find at Camago-3 is expected to help with supply until roughly the mid-2030s.

• Analysts say this will help keep the lights on but will not magically lower our electric bills, because we still depend heavily on imported fuel, move slowly on renewables, and have structural problems in the power sector.

• The one-stop permit system Leni wanted to use is still criticized for being slow and underused.

Her four-point fuel crisis plan from 2022 — targeted ayuda, possible fuel tax tweaks, proper support for public transport while modernizing it, and a push for electric vehicles — is now going around social media again because people can see how much more concrete it was compared to today’s “monitor, form a committee, save fuel” advice.

FOOD: SHE SAW THE BUDGET PROBLEM BEFORE THE RICE CRISIS BLEW UP

Rice prices in 2024 and 2025 climbed so high that millions of families felt their food budget fall apart. In early 2025, the government declared a “food security emergency,” mainly to try to bring down rice prices. Surveys show food prices at the top of Filipinos’ worries.

In 2021, Leni was already talking about the roots of the problem.

She pointed out that agriculture was getting only about 1.7% of the national budget and said, if elected, she would at least double that — from around P58 billion to P116 billion — in her first year. Then she dug into where those funds actually went.

She showed that:

• Fisheries — fisherfolk in an archipelago — got only around P3 billion.

• The rice sector got more than P15 billion.

Her point: you can’t talk about “food security” if whole sectors like fisheries are starved of funds. If you want stable and affordable food, you have to support all the people who produce it, not just one crop.

She backed a National Food Security Bill that would let government buy food directly from small farmers and fisherfolk for feeding programs and relief. That means removing abusive middlemen, giving small producers a stable market, and letting the state manage stocks and prices more intelligently.

She also talked about storage, transport, and market links — because it is useless to grow more food if it rots before it reaches people.

Marcos promised P20-per-kilo rice during the campaign. Instead, we got emergency rice measures, messy import timing, and prices that stayed far above that figure. Analyses have repeatedly mentioned weak support for farmers, bad import management, and misused budgets as reasons the crisis got worse.

CORRUPTION: SHE HAD CLEAN AUDITS, NOT JUST PUNCHLINES

On corruption, Leni did something rare in Philippine politics: she pointed to actual audit records.

As congresswoman and vice president, her offices got clean Commission on Audit reports — no serious findings of misuse or missing funds. During the pandemic, her office rolled out Swab Cab (free testing), Bayanihan E-Konsulta (teleconsults for Covid), and Bayanihan e-Skwela (support for distance learning) with clear partners, public reports, and audited spending.

Her 2022 anti-corruption plan included:

• full publication of government transactions, both national and local

• participatory budgeting so people can see and question where money goes

• strong protection for whistleblowers

• real cases against big-ticket corruption, not just small fry

She said corruption is not just about “masama yan.” It kills jobs, scares off investors, and makes everything more expensive for regular people.

By 2025–2026, corruption is back near the top of public concerns. People are angry about suspected misuse of funds, pork-like budget insertions, and problems in agencies like PhilHealth. Reform advocates call out a budget that protects those in power more than it protects people.

She was trying to tell us in 2022: clean audits and real transparency are not decoration. They are the basic wiring of a working government.

WEST PHILIPPINE SEA: SHE WANTED A CLEAR LINE WITH CHINA

Since 2023, China has become more aggressive in the West Philippine Sea — water-cannoning our boats, blocking resupply missions, aiming lasers at our Coast Guard, and swarming our ships inside our own exclusive economic zone.

Even before this latest escalation, Leni had a clear view.

In 2021 and early 2022, she said the Philippines could still talk to China about trade and investment in other areas, but any serious talks about the West Philippine Sea should start from one condition: China must recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling.

That ruling, from a Hague tribunal, invalidated China’s “nine-dash line” and confirmed that large parts of what we call the West Philippine Sea are legally part of our exclusive economic zone. For Leni, if you enter negotiations without both sides accepting that, you are already giving away ground.

She also talked about building alliances — using the ruling to rally ASEAN and other partners so that China feels more than just our lone voice.

She was clear: no to war, no to quiet surrender. The country needed a steady, law-based, alliance-backed strategy.

Today, the government cites the arbitral ruling more than before and sometimes responds more firmly, but the response still often feels like case-by-case reactions instead of a stable doctrine everyone understands.

She was already thinking in doctrine before the latest wave of incidents.

HEALTHCARE: SHE UNDERSTOOD THE SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE PANDEMIC

Covid exposed how hollow our health system is. In January 2022, Leni said the pandemic revealed deep problems: weak primary care, hospitals concentrated in only a few areas, and a health insurer, PhilHealth, that many people didn’t trust.

Her health plans were simple to say but hard to do:

• Make the Universal Health Care Law real by ensuring PhilHealth actually pays hospitals and clinics on time, so they can keep running and accepting patients.

• Build or upgrade enough hospitals so every region can access advanced care, not just Metro Manila.

• Strengthen community health by placing at least one nurse in every barangay, supporting barangay health workers better, and expanding telemedicine based on the Bayanihan E-Konsulta experience.

She also focused on nutrition in the first 1,000 days — from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday — because that window shapes a child’s body and brain for life. For her, health policy needed to protect that window, not just hospital beds.

PhilHealth today is still criticized for delayed reimbursements and financial issues. Health workers still complain about low pay and heavy workloads, and many continue to leave for better jobs abroad.

She saw early that a law on paper is just the start. The real work is in fixing the system underneath.

THE SALT HAS RECEIPTS

An independent think tank reviewed the 2022 presidential candidates’ economic plans and said only Leni Robredo and Ka Leody de Guzman had detailed, credible programs. They also said Bongbong Marcos did not present a solid economic platform.

Recent surveys show the top worries of Filipinos in 2026 are food prices, corruption, jobs, and high utility costs. These are exactly the areas where Leni brought specific, long-term fixes: a much bigger and fairer agriculture budget, anti-corruption systems built on clean audit records, a serious energy transition plan, a firm line in the West Philippine Sea, and a healthcare system that starts in the barangay, not just in big hospitals.

Instead, we got emergency declarations on food, recurring power rate hikes, a West Philippine Sea that still feels like a powder keg, and a health system that still creaks under pressure.

She didn’t offer magic. She offered work — contracts to sign, permits to move, plants to retire, budgets to reallocate, alliances to build.

If you’re still salty in 2026, it’s not because you’re dramatic or stuck in 2022. It’s because you remember what was on the table, and you can see exactly how much of this pain did not have to be this bad.

[SIGH] I miss Leni Robredo.

SOURCES:

1. Manila Bulletin, Robredo cites programs for attaining energy security, https://mb.com.ph/2022/1/22/robredo-cites-programs-for-attaining-energy-security

2. Manila Bulletin, Robredo bats for three-pronged approach to end power problems in Bicol, rest of PH, https://mb.com.ph/2022/03/02/here-is-how-robredo-will-end-power-problems-in-bicol-rest-of-ph

3. Inquirer, Robredo bares economic priorities under her presidency, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1543448/robredo-bares-economic-priorities-under-her-presidency

4. Philstar, Robredo unveils 5-point economic recovery plan, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/05/04/2178580/robredo-unveils-5-point-economic-recovery-plan

5. Philstar, Fact check: Leni Robredo's claim on energy supply needs, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/03/22/2169153/fact-check-leni-robredos-claim-on-energy-supply-needs

6. Tsek.ph, Robredo claim on energy supply needs context, https://www.tsek.ph/robredo-claim-on-energy-supply-needs-context/

7. Tinig ng Plaridel, Robredo claim on energy supply needs context, https://www.tinigngplaridel.net/robredo-claim-on-energy-supply-needs-context/

8. FactRakers, Robredo claim on energy supply needs context, https://www.factrakers.org/post/robredo-claim-on-energy-supply-needs-context

9. Power Philippines, Leni, Isko, Ka Leody to prioritize RE, https://powerphilippines.com/leni-isko-ka-leody-to-prioritize-re/

10. GMA News, Robredo: Cut dependence on coal before tapping nuclear power, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/823889/robredo-cut-dependence-on-coal-before-tapping-nuclear-power/story/

11. Inquirer, Robredo says willing to discuss nuclear energy, but it's least of my priority, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1563415/robredo-says-willing-to-discuss-nuclear-energy-but-its-least-of-my-priority

12. Manila Bulletin, Robredo favors 4-day work week amid fuel price crisis, https://mb.com.ph/2022/3/19/robredo-favors-4-day-work-week-amid-fuel-price-crisis

13. Asian Appraisal, Presenting the Economic Agenda of Top Presidentiables for 2022, https://www.asianappraisal.com.ph/index.php/newsletter/presenting-the-economic-agenda-of-top-presidentiables-for-2022.html

14. Freiheit Foundation, Leni Robredo: A symbol of hope, https://www.freiheit.org/philippines/leni-robredo-symbol-hope

15. Philstar, Gobyernong Tapat: A look at Robredo's platform, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/02/27/2161729/gobyernong-tapat-look-robredos-platform-and-people-around-her

16. Yahoo News / IBON Foundation, Think-tank: Only Robredo, Ka Leody leading in economic plans, https://sg.news.yahoo.com/think-tank-only-robredo-ka-leody-leading-in-economic-plans-064149881.html

17. IBON Foundation Facebook, Only Robredo and Ka Leody released detailed platforms, https://www.facebook.com/IBONFoundation/posts/the-effort-candidates-make-to-come-up-with-platforms-and-promote-them-shows-how-/1

18. GMA News, Robredo wants at least P116B for agri, greater participation of farmers, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/812672/robredo-wants-at-least-p116b-for-agri-greater-participation-of-farmers-in-government-programs/story/

19. Inquirer, Robredo vows to double agriculture budget to P116 billion, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1521478/robredo-vows-to-double-agriculture-budget-to-p116-billion-if-elected-president

20. Inquirer, Robredo says talks about WPS will start only if China acknowledges Hague ruling, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1501926/robredo-says-talks-about-wps-will-start-only-if-china-acknowledges-hague-ruling

21. Inquirer, Robredo open to exploring WPS with China if it recognizes the 2016 ruling, https://globalnation.inquirer.net/201863/robredo-open-to-exploring-wps-with-china-if-it-recognizes-2016-ruling

22. Philstar, Robredo rejects war with China to defend West Philippine Sea, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/01/27/2156732/robredo-rejects-war-china-defend-west-philippine-sea

23. ABS-CBN, Trade OK but Beijing must accept West PH Sea arbitral ruling, https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/10/14/21/robredo-china-must-accept-west-ph-sea-arbitral-ruling

24. Inquirer, Pandemic exposed systemic ills in PH's healthcare system, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1539426/pandemic-exposed-systemic-ills-in-phs-healthcare-system-robredo

25. GMA News, 4 prexy aspirants propose solutions to the PhilHealth problem, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/819161/4-prexy-aspirants-propose-solutions-to-the-philhealth-problem/story/

26. Philippine News Agency, Robredo vows to rid corruption in gov't, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1173172

27. Amnesty Philippines, SMBA HR Scorecard — Robredo, https://www.amnesty.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WEBSITE-SMBA-HR-Scorecard-PDF-Robredo-1.pdf

28. Wikipedia, Leni Robredo 2022 presidential campaign, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredo_2022_presidential_campaign

29. Straits Times, Malampaya's new gas find may steady Philippines' power supply but cheaper bills remain elusive, https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malampayas-new-gas-find-may-steady-philippines-power-supply-but-cheaper-bills-remain-elusive

30. Philippine News Agency, Malampaya project extension crucial to ensure future of PH energy, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1113358

31. PCO, PBBM commits to ensuring PH energy security, signs Malampaya Service Contract 38, https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-commits-to-ensuring-ph-energy-security-signs-malampaya-service-contract-38/

32. Philippine News Agency, Marcos renews Malampaya service contract until 2039, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1201484

33. Inquirer, DOE: Malampaya SC 38 extension opens door to more gas, energy projects, https://business.inquirer.net/411936/doe-malampaya-sc-38-extension-opens-door-to-more-gas-energy-projects

34. Inquirer, Securing PH's energy future, https://opinion.inquirer.net/171821/securing-phs-energy-future

35. Reuters, Philippines set for first coal power decline in 17 years amid rising LNG use, https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/philippines-set-first-coal-power-decline-17-years-amid-rising-lng-use-2025

36. Reuters, Philippines' rising renewables use could push power prices 24% lower by 2029, https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/philippines-rising-renewables-use-could-push-power-prices-24-lower-by-2029

37. Eco-Business, High electricity prices, frequent outages underscore need for rooftop solar in the Philippines, https://www.eco-business.com/news/high-electricity-prices-frequent-outages-underscore-need-for-rooftop-solar-in-the-philippines/

38. Bulatlat, High power rates remain a national problem, https://www.bulatlat.com/2025/05/10/high-power-rates-remain-a-national-problem/

39. CEED Philippines, Can't Take The Heat?, https://ceedphilippines.com/cant-take-the-heat-report/

40. Climate Justice PH, PMCJ demands urgent coal phaseout, https://www.climatejustice.ph/post/no-place-in-the-future-pmcj-demands-anew-urgent-coal-phaseout-just-energy-transition-ahead-of

41. Inquirer, Lower power rates remain elusive, https://opinion.inquirer.net/189255/lower-power-rates-remain-elusive

42. Borgen Project, The Price of Rice: Rising Rice Prices in the Philippines, https://borgenproject.org/rising-rice-prices-in-the-philippines/

43. Catalyst International, Addressing the Rice Price Crisis in the Philippines, https://catalyst-international.org/2025/08/25/addressing-the-rice-price-crisis-in-the-philippines-impacts-on-farmers-and-policy-responses/

44. WSWS, Soaring rice prices in the Philippines drive millions deeper into poverty, https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/03/21/gqiv-m21.html

45. Reuters, Philippines declares food security emergency to tame rice prices, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-declares-food-security-emergency-tame-rice-prices-2025-02-03/

46. Inquirer, Rice prices starting to rebound from 6-year low in 2025, https://business.inquirer.net/567554/from-6-year-low-in-2025-rice-prices-starting-to-rebound

47. Insider PH, Filipinos flag food prices, corruption and jobs as top concerns, https://insiderph.com/filipinos-flag-food-prices-corruption-and-jobs-as-top-concerns

48. Asia Pacific Insights / Stratbase, Gov't should address food prices, corruption, https://www.asiapacificinsights.com/p/stratbase-survey-march-2026

49. WPS News, China's Continued Aggression in the West Philippine Sea, https://wps.news/2025/05/05/chinas-continued-aggression-in-the-west-philippine-sea-a-cause-for-regional-concern/

50. Daily Tribune, Chinese aggression in West Philippine Sea 2024, https://tribune.net.ph/topic/chinese-aggression-in-west-philippine-sea-2024

51. ABS-CBN, VP Sara urges gov't to intensify price monitoring of fuel, basic commodities, https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/7/vp-sara-urges-gov-t-to-intensify-price-monitoring-of-fuel-basic-commodities-1005

52. Inquirer, Sara urges govt to act, monitor oil price hike effects to Filipinos, https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2191947/sara-urges-govt-to-act-monitor-oil-price-hike-effects-to-filipinos

53. Manila Times, VP Sara urges everyone to cooperate in saving energy costs, https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/07/news/vp-sara-urges-everyone-to-cooperate-in-saving-energy-costs/2295337

54. Daily Tribune, VP prods gov't: Act amid crisis, https://tribune.net.ph/2026/03/07/vp-prods-govt-act-amid-crisis

55. GMA News, VP Sara calls on gov't agencies to act now amid expected major fuel price hike, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/979090/vp-sara-calls-on-gov-t-agencies-to-act-now-amid-expected-major-fuel-pri

56. GMA News, VP Sara announces cost-cutting measures to aid public amid oil crisis, https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/981554/vp-sara-announces-cost-cutting-measures-to-aid-public-amid-oil-crisis/story/

57. Manila Bulletin, VP Sara asks public: Save fuel, ban caravan political protests, https://mb.com.ph/2026/03/03/vp-sara-asks-public-save-fuel-ban-caravan-political-protests

58. Balita, Mayor Leni iniutos emergency fuel cuts sa Naga, https://balita.mb.com.ph/2026/03/05/mayor-leni-iniutos-emergency-fuel-cuts-sa-naga-bunsod-ng-us-israel-iran-war/

59. Manila Bulletin / Facebook, Philippines has highest electricity cost in SEA after Singapore, https://www.facebook.com/ManilaBulletin/photos/the-philippines-has-the-highest-electricity-cost-in-southeast-asia-after-singapo

60. Philstar, Power rates going up, but not due to oil crisis, https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/03/11/2513492/power-rates-going-up-not-due-to-oil-crisis