MANILA – Adequate energy-sector infrastructure, not just power plants, is needed to ensure the Philippines’ energy security, which, in turn, will encourage more investments into the country.
Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Mario Marasigan, in his speech during the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) Business Summit 2026 in a hotel in Taguig City on Thursday, said 55 energy projects have been completed to date under the Task Force 200, the Department’s program that monitors the completion of 200 projects directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to be fast-tracked within the next three years, starting this year.
He said the task force coordinates project developers, grid operator, regulators and government agencies to address bottlenecks and ensure the materialization of the committed power projects.
“But please allow me to emphasize, additional generation capacity must be matched by the infrastructure needed to deliver this electricity where it is needed most. We must strengthen our transmission and distribution networks, improve grid reliability, coordinate generation and network development, and integrate energy storage and other technologies that enhance system flexibility,” he said.
Marasigan said sustained growth of the domestic economy should not be addressed by one sector alone but needs coordinated effort by all stakeholders.
Amid the investment inflows, he said the goal of boosting the economy will not happen without sufficient and reliable power.
Marasigan said “regional integration is not only simply a matter of connecting power systems” but is “about strengthening the environment in which businesses can invest, innovate, trade, and contribute.”
“Industrialization is a long-term national undertaking. It requires consistent policies, sustained investment, capable institutions, and a strong partnership between government and the private sector. While we recognize challenges that remain, particularly on energy costs, infrastructure constraints, project delays, and its fortune to settle short, we have to face these challenges with the private sector,” he said.
He said the DOE does not consider energy “simply as a utility or an operating expense” but “a strategic foundation of national development.”
“If we want to sustain economic growth, we must ensure that our energy system is prepared not only for today’s requirements, but also for the demands of the industries we hope to build tomorrow,” he added. (Joan Santiago-Villanueva/PNA)
