CEBU, Philippines – As the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit enters the opening stage on May 6, experts in Cebu said that talks on addressing the oil crisis should center on diversifying energy sources and sustainable solutions that can withstand disasters.

After the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, countries like the Philippines felt the impact of the war as oil prices began to skyrocket, pushing government agencies to implement energy-saving measures and distribute ayuda (aid) to the poor.

In late March, Marcos said that the ASEAN Summit would push through, primarily focusing talks on addressing oil supply, food security, and the welfare of migrant workers in the Middle East.

“Nagexpect ta nga ang national government, mualign sa ASEAN Summit nga pagpangita og alternative source of energy nga reliable,” Nathaniel Chua, lead convenor of the Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA), told Rappler.

(We expect the national government to align itself with the ASEAN Summit to find alternative energy sources that are reliable.)

To make reliable energy

For Chua, diversification matters when it comes to making energy supply reliable.

According to CERA, Cebu’s energy demand continues to increase by about 150 megawatts (MW) each year. The Department of Energy (DOE), in a 2024 The Freeman article, projected that by 2026 Cebu’s energy would be around 1,400 MW.

He added that energy demand rises during warmer seasons and disasters. Chua highlighted that parts of Cebu had suffered months-long power outages during the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (Rai) in late 2021 to early 2022.

“[Cebu’s] base load power igo ra makatubag sa atong panginahanglan pero ang atong ancillary power, kung dunay peaking demand, dili gyud kaigo,” Chua said.

(Cebu’s base load power can only answer its needs but our ancillary power, whenever there’s peaking demand, will not be able to match.)

The electricity rights advocate argued that for places like Cebu, which sources a majority of its energy from neighboring provinces, more power plants, regardless of whether they’re renewable or non-renewable, have to be developed locally to not just meet consumer demand but also exceed backup supply requirements in times of unforeseen crises.

Chua said that ASEAN leaders could invest in Cebu as a platform to produce new energy solutions, citing the province’s high energy demand and potential for investment returns.

“We are expecting that this summit will invite investors to look at Cebu as a good [place] for investing in energy,” Chua said.

Neil Lorenzo Diola, a lecturer at the College of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines in Cebu, told Rappler that the summit must focus on facilitating member states to diversify their energy sources both locally and regionally.

“There needs to be a bigger emphasis on regional economic integration of energy sources so that the region as a whole is not vulnerable to the volatilities of a fuel crisis,” Diola said.

The UP lecturer pointed out that the challenge would be for ASEAN to harmonize policies in light of the organization’s informal consensus and non-intervention based structure.

“Many ASEAN member states prefer trading bilaterally outside of the region which makes it weak to crises like what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Diola emphasized that officials should look at how the energy crisis intersects with food security. He explained that resources like Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), sulfur, and ammonia are also being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz and are directly linked to agriculture and food security in Southeast Asia.

“The blockage of these resources has made it harder for farmers to keep up with demand leading to rising food prices and food insecurity across the region,” Diola said. 

As the heads of the 11 member states of ASEAN are set to meet during the summit plenary on May 8, foreign and economic ministers will also gather to discuss food security and trade. – Rappler.com