(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has requested the government of Iran to formally designate Manila as a "non-hostile" country, despite being a close defense ally of the United States, to ensure the safe passage of Philippine-bound oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The development came during the meeting of Foreign Affairs Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin with Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines Yousef Esmaeilzadeh on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
During the meeting, Castro said both partites "agreed to course all detailed requests through official diplomatic channels to expedite processing."
"Amb [assador]. Esmaeilzadeh noted that they have been awaiting our outreach and reaffirmed their strong willingness to assist the Philippines with our specific requests," Castro said.
"Sec [retary] Lazaro requested that Iran formally designate the Philippines as a 'non-hostile country' and ensure safe passage for Philippine-flagged vessels and oil shipments. This is vital for the protection of our seafarers and our energy supply," she added.
Lazaro said the Philippines was committed to "deepening cooperation" with Iran, particularly on energy.
The price of fuel has hit historic highs in the Philippines since treaty ally the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, with the war forcing the partial closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency last week, later saying that "nothing was off the table" as the country of 116 million tried to meet its need for fuel.
Lazaro said in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday that she had explored "key avenues of operation" in the meeting with Esmaeilzadeh and Garin.
"Building on the momentum of our Political Consultations last November 2025, we are committed to deepening our cooperation across all fronts, particularly energy cooperation," she said of the meeting.
The meeting comes just days after Malaysia announced its tankers would be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without paying any toll to Iran.
The Iranian embassy in Manila declined to comment on the meeting.
A stock exchange filing on Monday revealed that the Philippines' sole oil refinery had secured nearly 2.5 million barrels of Russian crude out of "extreme necessity".
AFP had previously reported that a tanker filled with Russian crude oil had arrived at the harbor servicing refinery operator Petron Corp, a purchase unthinkable before the United States eased sanctions tied to Moscow's war in Ukraine.
