Pia Cayetano backs bill on natural gas development

Senator Pia Cayetano vowed to steward the passage of a bill that would set policy for the further development of Philippine natural gas.

Cayetano, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, said that the bill, the proposed Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry Development Act, is being deliberated on by her committee.

It was seen as key to further exploration of natural gas for the country’s energy security.

During the hearing of the energy committee on the bill last Thursday, Cayetano stressed that the government has tagged natural gas, including those coming from the Malampaya field off Palawan province, as a transition fuel to full renewable energy.

“Malampaya gas is our only indigenous source of natural gas,” Cayetano said.

“It is important that we have policies that will support more exploration of natural gas because energy security depends on us having our own supply,” she said.

“We will be less dependent on international factors that affect the prices of our energy sources," Cayetano said.

"There’s no other way to discuss and envision our goal of achieving energy security and sustainability but through a future thinking lens," Cayetano added.

Cayetano recently toured the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform off Palawan, noting the impressive operations of the facility run by Filipinos. She added that the visit opened her eyes to the need for further exploration of indigenous gas because it was key to the country’s energy security.

“When we have our own source, that gives us more security. It’s very simple...Kung ako ang tatanungin mo, ‘yan ang priority ko. Yung security natin na ang bansa natin, hindi mapipilay dahil wala tayong kuryente,” Cayetano said earlier. 

The Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power project is the country’s first and only indigenous gas resource off the province of Palawan. It supplies about 20 percent of Luzon’s electricity needs and has significantly contributed to the nation's energy independence since 2001.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, for his part, lauded Prime Energy's commitment to further explore Philippine natural gas resources.

“This is the first time I'm seeing true exploration. There are as many paper explorations,”  Gatchalian said.

“Remember, there are many press releases, they will explore. Many press releases, they will drill, after reading all those press releases for the past few years nothing happened," he said at the committee hearing held jointly with the committee on ways and means, and finance.

Gatchalian also said that there is a high chance of success that these projects, which are scheduled for next year, will push through.

"But I believe we now have a serious company, a serious player who will undertake actual drilling,” he said referring to Prime Energy, a subsidiary of Razon-led Prime Infra and operator of Malampaya. 

"So I'm very happy to hear that there is a potential, there is now a potential, real activity in that area and real drilling will happen," Gatchalian said.