President Marcos: PH pursuing long-term energy measures amid global tensions

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines is pursuing long-term strategies to improve energy resilience as global supply uncertainties and tensions in the Middle East continue to threaten fuel and power security.

In an interview with Japanese media on Monday, Marcos emphasized the importance of institutionalizing energy security measures and strengthening regional cooperation to ensure a stable supply of energy across Asia.

According to the President, recent developments in the Middle East highlighted the fragility of global supply chains and underscored the need for countries to prepare for future disruptions.

“So, we have to find ways to prepare for that. We have done much work in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). We have done much work bilaterally with different countries around in the region. And we will continue to institutionalize what we started during this crisis,” Marcos said.

“As you can imagine, I think every country everywhere around the world has had to adjust to this new situation. And the Philippines, of course, is one of those countries. And now maybe those, what we have started out as temporary arrangements, will become more permanent. And become more institutionalized,” he added.

Marcos said the Philippines has been coordinating closely with fellow ASEAN members and partners such as Japan to identify alternative fuel sources, improve supply chain reliability, and strengthen regional energy reserves.

He also pointed to ongoing ASEAN discussions aimed at enhancing energy resilience in the region, including plans for a stronger regional power grid and shared oil reserve mechanisms.

“We started talking in greater detail about the strong ASEAN grid. Then the oil reserve for the ASEAN member countries,” Marcos said.

The President added that he intends to seek further clarification from Japan regarding its proposed Power Asia system during his visit to Tokyo.

According to Marcos, discussions with Japanese officials would cover supply procurement, maintaining supply chains, crude oil stockpiling, and ways to improve the security and reliability of energy delivery systems.

He also said Japan’s proposed USD10 billion assistance package for energy and resource resilience would be included in the talks.

“Now, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, I think, will be, of course, a very important development. However, despite that, I don't think that we will go back to the old system where the majority of the petroleum products that are coming out of the Strait of Hormuz are going to Asia. I think Asia is going to start looking for alternative measures in case this happens again,” Marcos said.

Marcos likewise reiterated the Philippines’ long-term objective of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

While acknowledging that the country temporarily relied on coal-fired power plants because of fuel supply limitations, he stressed that renewable energy remains the long-term direction for both the Philippines and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

“In the longer term, it will give much, much greater impetus to all the countries around the Indo-Pacific and all around the world to move away from fossil fuels and move closer to renewables,” he said.

-Paraluman News