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AUTHORS
Bienvenido Oplas Jr.
Bienvenido Oplas Jr.
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Japan-Phl-Vietnam relations and the coming flood season
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - June 4, 2026 - 12:00am
Last week, President Marcos made a state visit to Japan and met with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Emperor Naruhito. A Philippines-Japan Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is being worked out.
Transition from energy poverty to energy abundance and the OIEA
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - May 28, 2026 - 12:00am
Last Tuesday, May 26, I attended the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines  forum on the theme, “Beyond the Crisis: Defining a New Era of Philippine Energy” held at Frabelle Corporate...
Cereals and fertilizers inflation
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - May 14, 2026 - 12:00am
The Philippines’ overall inflation increased from 1.4 percent in April 2025 to 7.2 percent in April 2026 and it is bad. But an even worse inflation is registered in other consumer goods like cereals and f...
Trumpflation, Asean Pacifism and Leviste VATism
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - May 7, 2026 - 12:00am
This paper will cover four topics so we go straight to the numbers and facts.
Energy developments and local government fiscal resilience
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - April 30, 2026 - 12:00am
Last week until this Monday, a number of important developments in the energy sector were announced.
ASEAN for peace and prosperity, trade with China
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - April 23, 2026 - 12:00am
On April 14, the Philippines issued a good and diplomatically written “ASEAN Chair’s Statement on the Outcomes of the Second Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on the Situation in the Middle...
Stable grid and stable growth
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - April 16, 2026 - 12:00am
If we want more stable and sustained growth, we should have less variable renewable energy like solar and wind. Conversely, if we want anemic and unstable growth, we should keep expanding those variable RE.
Trumpflation and economic and energy diplomacy
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - April 9, 2026 - 12:00am
Six East Asian countries have reported their March inflation so far, and the initial impact of the Iran war has been embedded. I compare their inflation from March 2025 to March 2026 in percent: Laos 11.2 to 9.7;...
Energy diplomacy and DOE leadership
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - April 2, 2026 - 12:00am
Energy diplomacy is an emerging important track to ensure economic stability of many countries that are badly suffering from low supply of oil-gas and hence, high prices of these important commodities.
The national emergency EO and cautions on some provisions
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - March 26, 2026 - 12:00am
President Marcos issued Executive Order 110 titled “Declaring a State of National Energy Emergency and Authorizing the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport”  last Tuesday,...
Economic uncertainty and digital payment infrastructure
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - March 19, 2026 - 12:00am
Energy uncertainty means economic uncertainty.
Asian growth during period of oil price shocks
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - March 12, 2026 - 12:00am
We often hear and read how bad things can be for the Philippines and many other countries in the world as a result of the high oil-gas prices with the ongoing Iran war.
The Iran war, oil taxes, Meralco and Nordeco
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - March 5, 2026 - 12:00am
This piece will cover several topics -- from the Iran war and high world oil-gas prices, to domestic power issues.
Stable nuclear power, expensive offshore wind
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - February 26, 2026 - 12:00am
Two recent reports and issues caught my attention.
On the proposed NRA, VAT and income tax cut, travel tax abolition
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - February 19, 2026 - 12:00am
Last Tuesday, Feb. 17, I attended the Pandesal Forum on the topic, “Taxes: What reforms do Filipinos actually need? Who really pays?” The three speakers were Mon Abrea, chief tax advisor of Asian Consulting...
Energy security via more hydro storage and RES
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - February 12, 2026 - 12:00am
We can attain higher energy security via four mechanisms: more baseload or 24/7 power generation, more mid-merit and peak-load plants for high demand hours and days, a resilient transmission system and efficient...
The DOE leadership, nuclear forum, electric cooperatives and PEPIF 2026
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - February 5, 2026 - 12:00am
I will have five energy topics here so we go straight to them.
Solar sa Politika and energy security
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - January 29, 2026 - 12:00am
January is always cold, usually the coldest month every year in the tropics north of the equator, and even in the northern hemisphere.
Ten reforms for growth acceleration
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - January 22, 2026 - 12:00am
Four of our Asian neighbors have reported their fourth quarter (Q4) GDP data and registered fast growth in full year 2025: Vietnam with eight percent; China, five percent; Malaysia, 4.9 percent; and Singapore, 4.7...
Ten points in Phl-UAE partnership
by Bienvenido Oplas Jr. - January 15, 2026 - 12:00am
The participation of President Marcos in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 Summit in the United Arab Emirates is a very good move. In particular, the signing of the Philippines-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership...
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