In this handout photo taken April 1, 2026 and released by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs shows Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Thereza Lazaro (L), Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines Yousef Esmaeilzadeh (C) and Philippine Secretary of Energy Sharon Garin posing for a photo during a bilateral meeting in Manila. (Photo by Handout / Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs / AFP)
Manila: The Philippines is committed to "deepening cooperation" with Iran, particularly on energy, Manila's foreign secretary said on Wednesday as the import-dependent archipelago jockeys with other regional countries for desperately needed oil.
The price of fuel has hit historic highs in the Philippines since treating ally the United States launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with the war forcing the partial closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
President Ferdinand Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency last week, later saying that "nothing was off the table" as the country of 116 million tried to meet its need for fuel.
Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said in a post on social media platform.
“Building on the momentum of our Political Consultations last November 2025, we are committed to deepening our cooperation across all fronts, particularly energy cooperation,” she said of the meeting.
The foreign affairs department offered no further details of the meeting, but it comes just days after Malaysia announced its tankers would be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without paying any toll to Iran.
The Iranian embassy in Manila declined to comment on the meeting.
A stock exchange filing on Monday revealed that the Philippines' sole oil refinery had secured nearly 2.5 million barrels of Russian crude out of "extreme necessity."
AFP had previously reported that a tanker filled with Russian crude oil had arrived at the harbor servicing refinery operator Petron Corp, an unthinkable purchase before the United States eased sanctions tied to Moscow's war in Ukraine.
