Baseless posts about 'energy lockdown' spread as Philippines faces fuel crunch

"17 days left," reads a Tagalog-language Facebook post shared on April 3, 2026 featuring a graphic bearing the logo of the Philippine energy department purportedly announcing an "energy lockdown" starting April 20.

The supposed announcement also urges the public to share the post and prepare supplies such as power banks, rechargeable fans, flashlights, food and water.

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Screenshot of the false post, taken April 6, with a red X added by AFP

The graphic circulated in similar posts on Facebook as fuel prices hit historic highs across the import-dependent archipelago since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with Tehran effectively closing the vital Strait of Hormuz in retaliation (archived link).

In a world first, President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency to manage the "imminent danger" the war posed on the country's fuel supply (archived link).

The nation of 116 million relies on coal for about 60 percent of its electricity generation and is heavily dependent on imported fuel to keep its power plants running.

The energy emergency order constitutes measures including advance payments to fuel contracts, strict action against hoarding or profiteering and provision of transport subsidies to offset price hikes.

The government has also imposed energy austerity measures like 4-day workweeks and orders for agencies to cut down power and fuel consumption (archived links here and here). However, none of these efforts involve restrictions on movement or nationwide suspension of electricity services .

But comments from panicked users suggest they believed the claim to be genuine.

"It's already hot enough now that there's electricity. What will happen to us if this lockdown happens?" one user commented.

Another user wrote, "I pray to God that this doesn't push through." 

However, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told AFP on April 6, "the claim that there will be an energy lockdown is fake news".

There are no "lockdown" announcements on the official social media platforms of the Philippine Department of Energy. It instead issued a statement refuting the claim on Facebook on April 6 (archived link).

"The DOE and the industry continue their monitoring and coordination to ensure a continuous and sufficient supply of energy and electricity in the country," reads part of the department's post. 

The graphic shared in the false posts also lacks the visual consistency of a genuine DOE advisory (archived link).

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared graphic (L) and a genuine DOE graphic

Ateneo de Manila University economist Ser Pena-Reyes also told AFP on April 6 that an energy lockdown starting later in the month is "very unlikely in light of current evidence". 

"But the situation is serious, and some limited conservation or disruption measures are plausible if conditions worsen," he added.

Peña-Reyes noted the viral claim appears to conflate the oil supply crunch with power failure, but said the country still has enough power supply for now.

"There is no indication of a nationwide grid shutdown," Peña-Reyes said.

AFP has previously debunked a slew of misinformation about Philippine fuel crisis.