Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said energy supply risks stemming from the war in the Middle East could spur renewed discussions with China on joint energy development in the South China Sea, Bloomberg reported on March 24.

The Philippines currently imports 90% of its oil, and this percentage is set to grow as the Malampaya gas field declines. Meanwhile, the downstream effects of the Iran war have pushed domestic power costs toward a potential 16% increase and sparked protests from public transport workers. At the same time, though China and the Philippines agreed in 2023 to resume discussions on joint oil and gas development, talks failed to produce a deal as constitutional constraints and sovereignty disputes continued to block agreement.