Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi arrived in Tokyo on Monday to lead a team from the Department of Energy (DoE) for a high-level discussion with their Japanese counterparts to discuss investments in energy, particularly natural gas exploration in anticipation of the Malampaya Gas Field’s depletion to begin in 2022.

Cusi is part of the country’s delegation to the fifth regular meeting of the Philippines-Japan High-Level Committee on Infrastructure and Economic Cooperation.

The DoE team will focus on the prospects of the Philippine energy industry with potential Japanese investors, while the other leaders of President Duterte’s economic team continue their high-level dialogues with the Japanese Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), on the administration’s flagship infrastructure projects under the Build Build Build program.

Cusi said, “The strategic location of the Philippines, as well as the fair and competitive playing field policy for natgas would entice investors to engage in the LNG terminal project.” The energy chief will encourage natural gas companies in Japan to invest in the Philippines’ liquefied natural gas (LNG) Hub Terminal project.

Currently, major Japanese gas companies such as Tokyo Gas are among those in serious talks for the project.

Cusi is scheduled to sign the Letter of Intent (LoI) on technical cooperation in the Philippine power industry with METI Deputy Director-General Kazuhiza Kobayashi in Tokyo today. The technical cooperation will cover areas such as power generation sector assessment and the sharing of best practices on energy efficiency and carbon emissions reduction.