Press Release - Senate Energy Chair Pia Cayetano Visits Malampaya Platform

PALAWAN - Senator Pia S. Cayetano, the new Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, visited the Malampaya Shallow Water Platform (SWP) today to gain firsthand insight into the operations of the country's energy asset.

The Senator was accompanied by Mr. Guillaume Lucci, Prime Infra President and CEO, and Ms. Donnabel Kuizon Cruz, Prime Energy General Manager and Managing Director, during the visit.

Located 50 kilometers offshore Northwest Palawan, the facility currently supplies 20 percent of Luzon's electricity requirements, playing a crucial role in meeting the region's increasing energy demands. Senator Pia met the facility's all-Filipino frontline workers - including engineers, technicians, and even chefs - and learned about their daily life aboard the platform, as well as their crucial roles in ensuring the smooth operation of the facility.

"It's an amazing experience for me to see how things operate, and to meet the people who do the actual work. I'm not an energy expert. But I like learning from the experts and talking to the people on the ground. As a legislator, these are important for me to understand - the depth of our problem on energy - so I can help by way of policymaking," said the Senator, who now chairs the Senate's Energy Committee.

The former Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking, Senator Pia Cayetano said she plans to integrate the principles of strategic foresight and futures thinking into her new role as head of the Energy Committee. Focusing on energy security, reliability, and sustainability, she underscored the importance of long-term planning to ensure a stable energy supply for future generations.

"It's about planning long-term. In this field, you need to have that outlook for the future, and our next big challenge is exploration and ensuring energy supply for the next 15-20 years," she stressed.

"Kung ako ang tatanungin, ang priority ko ay energy security; na ang bansa natin ay hindi mapipilayan dahil wala tayong kuryente. Pwedeng magpatuloy ang negosyo, ang pang-araw-araw na kabuhayan ng tao, dahil may pagkukunan tayo ng kuryente. This issue affects our day-to-day