Oil crisis needs lasting fix, not band-aid — ex-solon

Former Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Zarate called on the current administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to invest in alternative sources of power to develop a more sustainable and less import-dependent energy system for the country.

Zarate’s message comes at a time when fuel prices are expected to make yet another massive jump in the coming week, with diesel anticipated to reach P170 per liter.

The former lawmaker said Marcos should be eyeing projects that can enable the country to rely less on oil imported from the Middle East.

“Instead of scrambling for diplomatic assurances from conflict zones, the government should be investing massively in community-based mini-hydro power plants, and installing solar facilities on one million or more rooftops nationwide,” he said.

“That is a concrete, decentralized and permanent solution,” he noted.

Zarate explained that current tensions in the Middle East exposed how fragile the country’s oil sources were, as he said, “Any escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, any blockade or retaliation, and our entire energy system teeters on the brink.”

On Thursday, April 2, the national government and Iran were able to strike a deal on the “safe, unhindered, and expeditious” passage of vessels carrying Filipinos through the contested Strait of Hormuz.

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the newfound diplomatic agreement allowed the Philippines to safely bring in supplies of oil and fertilizers.

However, Zarate said that development did not completely resolve the country’s energy crisis, as it was merely a temporary solution to an already “deepening” issue.