The Department of Energy (DOE) said ASEAN senior energy officials have endorsed the group’s annual energy priorities, including the Philippines’ key proposals for its ASEAN chairmanship.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DOE said the endorsement was made during the ASEAN Special Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy held in Bohol this week.
DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the Philippines will work closely with ASEAN partners to implement the Enhanced ASEAN Power Grid (APG) Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2025. The agreement aims to strengthen regional power connections, support renewable energy integration, and attract investments through multilateral electricity trading.
Fuentebella said the focus is now on execution, including setting up task forces on policy, legal and regulatory issues, and technical matters to ensure coordinated and timely implementation.
He added that the Philippines will also lead the development of operational guidelines for the Submarine Power Cable Framework. These guidelines will cover legal, technical, financial, and governance aspects to help create an investment-ready environment for cross-border power projects.
Aside from the power grid initiative, the Philippines will push other ASEAN energy priorities, including the release of the 9th ASEAN Energy Outlook and the completion of studies on nuclear power plant financing and human resource development.
The DOE is also supporting the completion of regional studies on carbon capture, utilization and storage, upstream oil and gas fiscal benchmarking, battery energy storage systems, and advanced technologies for renewable energy integration.
Other initiatives include the launch of the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Certification Scheme and a study on a cross-border renewable energy certificate market to support regional power trade.
The DOE said these programs will be advanced through ASEAN energy sector networks, with key milestones expected at the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy in June 2026 and possible endorsement by ASEAN energy ministers in September.
Fuentebella said the goal is to ensure that regional initiatives deliver practical benefits, including improved energy access, consumer protection, job creation, and more reliable power systems across the region.
