DOE pushes renewable shift as oil crisis exposes import dependence

The Department of Energy is ramping up efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on imported fuel and accelerate the shift to renewable energy amid rising global oil prices driven by tensions in the Middle East.

Michael Sinocruz, director of the DOE’s Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said the government is prioritizing alternative energy sources to cushion the impact of supply disruptions and price volatility.

“What we need to focus on here is how we can speed up our energy transition. That our dependency on imported fuels will decrease, because if we renew our energy, it will definitely be considered as indigenous,” Sinocruz said in an ambush interview during the 2026 Luzon Regional Scientific Meeting in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday, 7 April.

He said the Philippines is targeting renewable energy to account for 35 percent of power generation by 2030, rising to 50 percent by 2040.

Sinocruz added that expanding the use of electric vehicles is also part of the government’s long-term strategy, with a target of 50 percent of road transport shifting to EVs by 2040.

“It means that if 50 percent of our road transport is electric vehicle, our dependency will only be 50 percent,” he said.

The DOE is also exploring strategic oil stockpiling to buffer against supply disruptions, though Sinocruz noted that such a move would require significant investment in storage infrastructure.

He said discussions are ongoing on the possibility of pursuing regional oil stockpiling within ASEAN to strengthen collective energy security.

“We can invest because we have an impact on the oil,” he said, adding that a coordinated approach among ASEAN member states could help mitigate future supply shocks.

The agency is also encouraging investments in domestic oil and gas exploration to further reduce reliance on imports.

“The national government is looking at a working group to address the impact. In the case of the Department of Energy, we’re doing all the measures that can be implemented,” Sinocruz said.