MANILA, Jan 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos said Monday that a "significant" discovery of natural gas had been made near the country's sole producing offshore site. The discovery, the first in more than a decade, suggested the potential to produce even more, Marcos said. The Philippines -- regularly affected by electricity outages -- relies on imported carbon-belching coal for more than half of its power generation. In 2022, then president Rodrigo Duterte called a halt to oil and gas exploration in areas of the South China Sea disputed with China. Beijing has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over most of the South China Sea to be without basis.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha January 19, 2026 09:25 UTC