ASEAN Summit in the Philippines: Prabowo Pushes for Energy and Food Resilience

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto’s diplomacy at the 48th ASEAN Summit in the Philippines went beyond regional stability issues. Prabowo brought forward two crucial matters for all countries: energy and food resilience. Recent escalating geopolitical turmoil has proven to shake many nations. Reflecting on that situation, ASEAN countries, in his view, must seek alternative energy sources, not relying solely on certain types of energy. “Energy diversification is no longer a choice. It is very important, it is necessary. We must move faster. We must go through alternative sources and we must prepare renewable energy,” Prabowo said at the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday (8/5/2026), quoted from the press release. Major distribution routes for raw materials or energy products are disrupted due to conflicts among several countries. He predicted that the impact of warfare would not disappear in the near future. “Prolonged disruptions along major global routes have already placed enormous pressure on our countries’ energy situations, and that pressure seems unlikely to subside anytime soon,” Prabowo stated. According to him, Indonesia has already taken concrete steps in building national energy. He urged all parties to utilise clean, sustainable renewable energy that does not depend on other countries. Among those alternative energies are the utilisation of plant-based fuels (bioenergy), increased use of electric vehicles, and the construction of large-scale solar power plants. “We are building a very ambitious 100 gigawatt solar energy programme that we aim to complete in three years,” Prabowo said. Prabowo challenged those three countries not only to meet domestic energy supplies but also to contribute to the region. “Not only to meet our subregional needs, but also to contribute to the ASEAN energy transition,” Prabowo said at the BIMP-EAGA Summit forum in Cebu, Philippines, on Thursday (7/5/2026). Prabowo assessed that alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, water, and fertile land for plant-based raw materials have not yet been maximally utilised in BIMP-EAGA. He invited friendly countries to immediately accelerate that energy transition. Prabowo then mentioned the development project for hydropower-based energy in Kalimantan, a solar energy project in Palawan, and wind energy on the coast. “Full speed ahead, 100 GW solar power, invite our friends, enhance our energy infrastructure, we have the potential,” Prabowo said.