Presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos has underscored anew the Philippines' potential to become a major player in the wind power sector.

"We have the potential to be a major wind power producer in the world. Our unique topography is very suitable for building offshore wind farms and we should take advantage of it to produce cheap electricity," Marcos said in a statement Wednesday, April 6.
The UniTeam member and survey frontrunner made these remarks as the Philippines continues to grapple with exorbitant fuel prices as a result of the global economic bounce-back from the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"We need to be competitive in a post-pandemic global economy and having low electricity rates is crucial in drawing in more foreign direct investments (FDIs) as we pursue aggressive growth targets," added the Ilocano bet.
According to 2019 data, the Philippines ranks third among Asia countries with the most expensive power rates at P10 per kilowatt hour (kWh), after Japan and Singapore.
The Ilocano Palace aspirant is also hoping for the completion of the offshore wind power roadmap being developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the World Bank Group, which is expected to be ready within the month.
The offshore wind power roadmap will ensure that adequate rules and regulations are in place to guide the government in working with all industry stakeholders.
"It would be good to have the roadmap completed at the soonest possible time since it will provide us with the policy framework to fast-track the deployment of wind farms in the country," added Marcos.
According to the World Bank Group, the Philippines has approximately 170 gigawatts (GW) of untapped offshore wind potential.
To date, the DOE has awarded five wind energy service contracts with a combined capacity of 1.85 GW for offshore wind projects. These are the contracts for Guimaras Strait (100 megawatts ), Aparri Bay (100 MW), Guimaras Strait II (600 MW), Frontera Bay (450 MW), and San Miguel Bay (600 MW), which are all expected to be completed in 2031.
The DOE has also received nine additional letters of intent for offshore projects with a total capacity of 12 GW.