DOE explores option for Bat-Man pipeline

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) is revisiting other options to implement the long-delayed P10.528-billion Batangas-Manila natural gas pipeline of the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC), a Cabinet official said yesterday.

On the sidelines of the Energy Policy and Development Program conference yesterday, Socioeconomic secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the DOE raised certain issues on the said project and asked for an opportunity to present these findings to the Cabinet-level National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board.

“(Energy) Secretary (Zenaida) Monsada wrote us expressing an opportunity to present her side. We are waiting for that opportunity so that she will inform the members of the Cabinet about her observations on the project, what suggestions she would make,” he said.

Specifically, the agency wanted to present other options in implementing the project, the Cabinet official noted.

“We want it to be a PPP (public-private partnership) project but DOE wanted to revisit other options.