Geopolitical analyst Herman Tiu Laurel revealed in an interview with Bombo Radyo that the Philippines might have achieved energy self-sufficiency had oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea continued.

Laurel recalled that discussions on joint exploration began as early as 1988 under former President Corazon Aquino and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. The initiative resurfaced during President Benigno Aquino III’s administration and was formalized in 2017 through a memorandum of agreement signed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to Laurel, the plan was derailed by external interference, which prevented the Philippines from tapping its own reserves. He argued that without such obstacles, the country would no longer be dependent on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that the worsening global energy crisis, driven by tensions in the Middle East, has compelled President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to revisit the stalled exploration talks as a potential solution to the nation’s vulnerability in oil supply.