The Philippines has secured fee-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for its flagged vessels and energy shipments, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed, pushing back against reports that Iran had been collecting payments from oil tankers transiting the strategic waterway.
“[Regarding] the reported toll fee, there is no toll fee,” the DFA said in a message to reporters.
The clarification follows accounts that Iran had established a toll-collection system along the Hormuz strait, allegedly extracting millions of dollars from tankers seeking to pass through. The DFA’s statement suggests Philippine-bound energy cargoes fall outside that arrangement.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro had spoken with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi the day prior, with the DFA describing the exchange as “very productive.” The call yielded assurances that Philippine-flagged vessels, energy shipments, and Filipino seafarers would be granted safe and unimpeded transit through the strait.
The development carries particular urgency given that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared an energy emergency last month, with national oil supply inventories at the time projected to last less than two months. The country’s fuel situation has mirrored a broader global strain on reserves.
The Department of Energy has not yet responded publicly to the diplomatic outcome or indicated how many fuel shipments are expected to reach the country following the arrangement with Tehran.
