Manila: Around 22.58 million liters of diesel have been delivered to the Philippines, augmenting domestic supply amid the challenges brought by the conflict in the Middle East. In a Facebook post Thursday night, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the around 142,000 barrels of diesel was procured under its Emergency Energy Security Program, which has been allocated PHP20 billion.

According to Philippines News Agency, the program is part of government measures in line with the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 110, which declared a national energy emergency due to the impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The government aims to procure as much as 2 million barrels of additional fuel supply through the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) and the PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC EC).

The DOE will continue to focus on increasing domestic fuel supply. The immediate delivery of the diesel is part of the moves to prevent the disruption of travel, work, and everyday lives of every Filipino, as stated by DOE Secretary Sharon Garin. Garin, on her own Facebook page, said the arrival of the diesel is the first delivery from overseas, and that there will be more deliveries in the coming days or weeks.

Garin mentioned that the efforts to secure the delivery have been ongoing for three weeks, and expressed her satisfaction with the arrival, metaphorically describing the ship as the most beautiful one ever.