Marcos to DOE: Secure more fuel sources while PH has 45-day supply

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday that he has ordered the Department of Energy (DOE) to secure additional fuel sources, even though the country currently has up to 45 days’ worth of supply.

In an address in Malacañang Palace, Marcos backed Energy Secretary Sharon Garin’s earlier assurance that the Philippines’ fuel supply remains sufficient for 40 to 45 days, or until early May.

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“And my instruction to them is: do not stop. Continue looking for additional supply because we do not know how long this situation will last,” the president said.

“And when we say we have — now we are talking about around 45 days on average, more or less. But we do not know how long this will last, or how long the supply is going to be diminished from the Middle East through the Strait of Hormuz,” he continued.

Meanwhile, the country is exploring alternative fuel sources from nations such as Russia, Japan, China, and South Korea.

“It would be premature to say that we have perfected contracts with them. But I think it’s sufficient to say that things are beginning to open up,” the president said.

“And although we cannot be assured right now of the supply, we can be sure that at least for 45 days, we will be all right. I think that we can be fairly confident – we can be confident that after the 45 days, we still have already arrived here in the Philippines. We will have already a flow of oil, not just one delivery, not just two deliveries but a flow of petroleum and petroleum-related products,” he also said.

Marcos brushed off the possibility of the government temporarily taking over the oil industry amid the conflict in the Middle East.

“We don’t want to get into that discussion,” he told reporters after his address.

On Tuesday evening, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 110, declaring a state of national emergency that will remain in effect for one year unless sooner lifted or extended.

Under this, the government adopts the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport as a coordinated, whole-of-government response framework aimed at ensuring a stable domestic energy supply, uninterrupted essential services, and continued economic activity, and protecting the welfare of the citizens, especially in vulnerable sectors.

EO 110 also states that the Department of Transportation, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Migrant Workers, the Philippine National Police, the Department of Finance, and the Department of Budget and Management shall carry out their respective mandates to mitigate the effects of energy-related emergencies. /das/gsg