ASEAN, ADB agree to set energy resilience priorities under APAEC

MANILA — Representatives from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have reached a consensus to define key priority areas under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), marking a step forward in strengthening regional energy resilience.

The parties also agreed to embed energy resilience considerations into relevant ASEAN Sub-Sector Networks, with further deliberations scheduled for the Energy Resilience Roundtable in June 2026. Outcomes from these discussions will be elevated to the ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy and eventually to the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

In a statement released Tuesday, the DOE said the agreement was reached following the first energy resilience information session conducted during the ASEAN Special Senior Officials’ Meeting on Energy held earlier in the day in Bohol.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella, who serves as the Philippines’ Senior Official on Energy, emphasized that energy resilience has become an immediate operational necessity rather than a long-term aspiration.

He noted that engaging ASEAN partners early is critical to establishing shared policy frameworks and investment strategies that can ensure energy systems remain stable and flexible amid extreme weather events, supply disruptions, and shifting demand patterns.

“For ordinary Filipinos, we have more partners in addressing resiliency towards fewer power interruptions, more predictable electricity cost, and stronger continuity of essential services, so homes can keep the lights on, small businesses can stay open, and hospitals, schools, and transport systems can operate reliably even during crises,” Fuentebella said. (PNA)

Via: Bravo Filipino