Philippines steps up patrols around ‘significant’ gas find amid security concerns

The Philippine military and coastguard have stepped up security around a newly announced natural gas discovery off Palawan, treating the operation as a test case for protecting future offshore energy projects in contested waters, according to officials familiar with the deployment.The expanded patrols cover Malampaya East-1, a fresh gas and condensate find about 5km from the existing Malampaya gas field, the country’s most important domestic energy source, which supplies fuel to power plants on the main island of Luzon.Analysts say the move reflects both the strategic value of domestic gas supplies and Manila’s expectation that any new energy activity will attract geopolitical attention.Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the Philippine Navy, said the country’s armed forces felt increasingly confident about securing offshore energy assets because of new equipment, improved surveillance and the near-constant presence of US warships in the region.“We now have more assets and equipment,” Trinidad told This Week in Asia on the sidelines of a military briefing on Tuesday.The Malampaya natural gas field is the Philippines’ most important domestic energy source. Photo: Shell Philippines ExplorationConfidence had been boosted with the “almost constant presence of a [US] carrier battle group” in the area, which Trinidad attributed to Washington’s use of “hard power in the Indo-Pacific area” and a tougher defence posture under US President Donald Trump.