Photo credit: Inquirer Philippines The Marcos administration will study the proposed joint oil exploration between the Philippines and China in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (WPS), Malacañang said on Tuesday. “Pag-aaralan po natin sa ngayon (As of now, we will study it),” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a Palace press briefing. Cruz-Angeles’ statement was issued after former Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao expressed optimism about the revival of negotiations on China’s possible joint oil and gas exploration with the Philippines in WPS. Liu, the current minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Committee, hoped Sunday that the Marcos administration will consider joint oil and gas development in the busy waterway. Cruz-Angeles said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will look into the proposal to jointly explore energy resources in WPS. “Ukol sa mga foreign relations natin, lalung-lalo na those involving contracts kailangan pa po ng abiso ng ating Department of Foreign Affairs (With regard to our foreign relations, especially if these involve contracts, the Department of Foreign Affairs needs to be notified),” she said. Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian on July 27 said China is ready to restart talks on oil and gas exploration with the Philippines. In November 2018, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on joint oil and gas development in WPS. The Philippines, under the Duterte administration, terminated the talks before Marcos assumed presidency on June 30 because of constitutional constraints and issues on the country’s sovereignty. The Philippines on July 12, 2016, won its petition against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands after the court invalidated Beijing’s supposedly historic rights over nearly the entire South China Sea, including the WPS. Despite the Philippines’ historic win, China has repeatedly ignored the 2016 PCA ruling. By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo: Nido Petroleum Company Logo Some USD72 million worth of investments are expected in the two drilling activities of Nido Petroleum Philippines Pty. Ltd. in northwest Palawan, an official of the Department of Energy (DOE) said Wednesday. In a virtual press conference, DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said Nido aims to spend USD16 million each for drilling Service Contract (SC) 6B and SC 54. An additional USD40 million will also be spent for the extended production test in the Cadlao oil field, he said. Sales said the extended production test in SC 6B aims “to determine how to optimize future production and determine the more appropriate way in installing the permanent production facilities”. “Foreign investors have taken the assurances made by the Philippine government that our PD (Presidential Decree) 87 framework for giving incentives to the service contractors is going to be upheld,” DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla said. Lotilla said the ultimate objective of the policy is to yield the maximum benefit to the Filipino people and to assure just returns to participating private enterprises. Sales said the drilling activities in Cadlao are expected in the first half of 2023, with the extended production testing running up to six months. If the drilling activity is successful, permanent production is expected by the first half of 2024, he added. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has directed the DOE to focus on expanding and harnessing the country’s indigenous energy resources to achieve energy security and affordable electricity prices. By Kris Crismundo   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency

Photo: Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (right) with officials of China-based Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd., who arrived in the city earlier this month. On Monday (Feb. 20, 2023), Benitez said they are studying the firm's formal proposal to establish an electric-vehicle manufacturing plant in the city. (Video grab from Albee Benitez Facebook page) A Chinese firm has submitted a formal proposal to the city government to establish an electric (e)-vehicle manufacturing plant in a still undisclosed area here. "This is an offshoot of our trip to China," said Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez in a press briefing on Monday. Benitez, who first met with the investors when he joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s state visit to Beijing in January, said they have received a draft copy of a memorandum of understanding from Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd., which is eyeing to invest USD200 million for the proposed project. "We are reviewing their proposal. They are very serious. There's a document that they submitted (to us), a formal proposal. In fact, I might be meeting with them tonight to expand on this proposal," he added. Benitez said the company needs assistance for the establishment of e-vehicle charging stations. "They are planning to enter first our public transportation system. In China, public transportation is mostly, if not a hundred percent, electric vehicles now, in response to the quest for a sustainable and renewable industry," he added. The mayor said that Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd. will bring in test units to the city. "We have to see first-hand if what they said in the presentation is what will really happen. If that happens, we can probably promote the conversion into e-vehicle," he added. For the vehicle's look or design, the firm has proposed to preserve the cultural identity of Filipino public transport as such the e-vehicle will resemble the Philippines' iconic "Sarao" jeepney. "These are all proposals. The City Council is studying the formal proposal. Aside from this, I would like to see a proof of concept. Once proven beneficial to our stakeholders, especially to our operators, then we can probably consider helping out into making the program a reality," Benitez said. The firm's officials arrived in the city earlier this month to hold their first meeting with Benitez.   Article courtesy of the Philippine News Agency