Senator Imee Marcos on Tuesday urged the government to maximize the upcoming ASEAN Summit as a platform for crafting regional solutions to the global oil crisis and reducing dependence on Middle Eastern fuel imports.

Marcos said the Philippines, as current ASEAN chair, should lead efforts to strengthen regional cooperation through emergency fuel-sharing arrangements, infrastructure integration, and long-term energy diversification measures.

“Our ASEAN neighbors are coping more effectively than we are. The Leaders’ Summit in Cebu is a golden opportunity to focus on oil or ‘liquid gold’ and our dependence on Middle East importation,” Marcos said in a statement.

“We must unite the region in formulating a comprehensive oil crisis mitigation plan to support vulnerable countries such as the Philippines,” she added.

The senator proposed activating the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement to enable emergency fuel sharing among member-states during supply disruptions. 

She also called for closer coordination and real-time information exchange involving oil reserves, supply risks, and fuel pricing.

Marcos further pushed for deeper regional infrastructure and trade integration, including the accelerated development of the ASEAN Power Grid and expanded intra-regional trade in crude oil and refined petroleum products.

She stressed the importance of maintaining open and predictable trade policies to help prevent supply interruptions amid ongoing volatility in the global energy market.

The senator likewise underscored the need for long-term energy resilience through increased investments in renewable energy, stricter energy efficiency standards, and the wider adoption of alternative fuels and emerging technologies such as electric vehicles and biodiesel.

“For once, let this government rise to the occasion and use our ASEAN chairmanship, an opportunity that comes only once every 11 years, to lead decisively and abate the suffering of the Filipino people,” Marcos said.

The ASEAN Summit is scheduled from 6 to 8 May in Cebu, where regional leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, security concerns, and energy-related challenges affecting Southeast Asia.