Jamaine Punzalan

Chinese pupils hold the flags of the Philippines and China as they welcome President Rodrigo Duterte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 20, 2016. Toto Lozano, Malacanang Photo/File

Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177485065640420161019-duterte-china-MNIB.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chinese pupils hold the flags of the Philippines and China as they welcome President Rodrigo Duterte at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 20, 2016. Toto Lozano, Malacanang Photo/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang on Monday said the Philippines would act cautiously to protect the country’s interests in potential joint oil and gas exploration with China, after the two nations <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/30/philippines-china-open-talks-on-oil-and-gas-exploration-1034">opened “initial exchanges” </a>on possible cooperation.</p><p>Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Philippines would safeguard its rights in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>“Lagi naman tayong magiging sincere sa mga pag-uusap kung meron man at lagi tayong magiging maingat para sa interes ng bayan at para sa interes ng bawat Pilipino,” Castro told reporters in a chance interview at a forum in Pasig City.</p><p>(We will always be sincere in any discussions, if there are any, and we will always be cautious in protecting the interests of the nation and every Filipino.)</p><p>“Walang mawawalang interes, walang ipamimigay na interes,” she added.</p><p>(No interests will be lost, and none will be given away.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/26/palace-marcos-has-no-secret-deals-on-joint-oil-exploration-with-china-1654">Palace: Marcos ‘has no secret deals’ on joint oil exploration with China</a></div><p>The Philippines and China held back-to-back meetings for the 24th Foreign Ministry Consultations and the 11th Meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea on March 27 and 28 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China.</p><p>In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said both sides made progress on practical measures, including initial exchanges on potential oil and gas cooperation, among other collaborations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/30/number-of-closed-gas-stations-drops-to-365-as-some-reopen-1348">Number of closed gas stations drops to 365 as some reopen</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/30/petron-secures-2-5-million-barrels-of-russian-crude-1058">Petron secures 2.5 million barrels of Russian crude</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>TRUST AND CONFIDENCE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>For maritime law expert Professor Jay Batongbacal of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, any agreement between the Philippines and China should first be preceded by demonstrations of trust and confidence.</p><p>For now, he said, the Philippines should be cautious about entering into any agreement with China, noting that “the rhetoric coming from China particularly is not a good basis for any kind of trust or confidence.”</p><p>“Given our experience, [we have to be] very cautious, also the experience of other countries around us. There have been prior attempts to have joint exploration and development with Japan, with Korea. And they were not, shall we say, successful in finding anything of value,” Batongbacal said.</p><p>China has continuously harassed Philippine patrol missions in the West Philippine Sea, engaging in dangerous maneuvers and directing fire-control radar at Philippine warships, among other actions.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/29/ph-resumes-talks-raises-concern-over-china-s-actions-in-west-ph-sea-1011">PH raises concern over China’s actions in West PH Sea at Fujian meeting</a></div><p>“And that again shows you that it&#x27;s hard to comment at this point given that the statements are very recent and the activities at sea have not yet changed,” Batongbacal said.</p><p>In 2022, then-president Rodrigo Duterte halted oil and gas exploration in areas of the South China Sea disputed with China.</p><p>Talks of cooperation between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea were revived recently after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an interview that it would be challenging to resume joint oil and gas exploration projects with China due to tensions in the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>Under Marcos’ administration, Manila has repeatedly flagged Beijing’s illegal incursions and dangerous maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea, as Chinese ships drive away Filipino vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mHldzR1mngQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mHldzR1mngQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Malacañang on Monday said the Philippines would act cautiously to protect the country’s interests in potential joint oil and gas exploration with China, after the two nations opened “initial exchanges” on possible cooperation.</p>

Malacañang on Monday said the Philippines would act cautiously to protect the country’s interests in potential joint oil and gas exploration with China, after the two nations opened “initial exchanges” on possible cooperation.

‘Walang ipamimigay’: Palace says no West Philippine Sea compromise in potential oil exploration with China

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‘Walang ipamimigay’: Palace says no West Philippine Sea compromise in potential oil exploration with China

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 30, 2026 02:08 PM PHT

|

Updated March 30, 2026 02:15 PM PHT

Read More:

joint oil and gas exploration

China

Philippines

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

DFA

Claire Castro

Malacañang

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