Senator Tulfo meets ADNOC chief in Abu Dhabi on Philippine strategic petroleum reserves
Senate Energy Committee chair Erwin Tulfo visited ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi on 29 October to explore a partnership for strategic petroleum reserves in the Philippines, days after Senate President Win Gatchalian said the Emirati oil company is ready to build and stock a facility if land is provided.
Philippine Senate Energy Committee chair Erwin Tulfo visited the headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on 29 October to explore a potential partnership for establishing strategic petroleum reserves in the Philippines, Gulf News and The Filipino Times reported.
Tulfo held consultations with ADNOC chairman Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver and Philippine Special Envoy to the UAE Kathryna Pimentel also attended the meeting.
The visit followed an earlier meeting with ADNOC officials on 8 October that was also attended by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
ADNOC offer to build reserves
In a statement dated 26 October, Senate President Gatchalian urged the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) to seize the opportunity, saying ADNOC is keen on establishing a facility in the Philippines and is prepared to shoulder major operational requirements provided suitable land is allocated.
“Ang kailangan lang nila lupa, bahala na sila sa tangke, bahala na sila sa inventory. They want to also sign an arrangement wherein we have right of first refusal,” Gatchalian said at a recent Senate hearing on the proposed measure to amend the Downstream Oil Deregulation Act of 1998.
Strategic petroleum reserves are government-held stockpiles of oil designed to help countries manage supply disruptions. The Filipino Times said Tulfo's engagement aims to strengthen energy security, ensure a more stable domestic oil supply and reduce the country's vulnerability to external supply disruptions.
Backing for a UAE diplomat's UN bid
Gulf News also reported that Tulfo, vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, voiced support for UAE ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh's candidacy for UN Secretary-General, describing her as a "strong candidate". He pointed to the UAE's humanitarian assistance to the Philippines after natural disasters and its support for nearly one million Filipinos living in the Emirates.
Read the web like we doTurn any page into clean, ready-to-use data with FirecrawlKey facts
- Senator Erwin Tulfo visited ADNOC headquarters in Abu Dhabi on 29 October 2026.
- He met ADNOC chairman Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
- Ambassador Alfonso Ver and Special Envoy Kathryna Pimentel attended.
- An earlier meeting with ADNOC officials took place on 8 October with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
- Gatchalian said ADNOC is prepared to shoulder major operational requirements if suitable land is allocated.
Official sources
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