Over 90 UP engineering students participated in GPDP 3’s forum with the theme, “Navigating the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry: A Student Forum,” held on April 24, 2025, at Melchor Hall, UP Diliman.

The forum featured three thematic sessions led by GPDP technical and legal experts, tackling the role of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the country’s energy transition and the legal framework that governs it. Participants included students from Chemical, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering programs.

Dr. Rizalinda de Leon, GPDP 3 Project Director, opened the program by introducing GPDP’s ongoing efforts in developing the regulatory framework for the downstream natural gas sector. A comprehensive overview of LNG’s key concepts led by Dr. Jon Dewitt Dalisay and Engr. Kristian July Yap then followed, covering production, regasification, transport, and use. LNG’s long-term sustainability was also discussed by Dr. Jhud Mikhail Aberilla while Atty. Noel Baga and Atty. Arnel Abeleda concluded the forum with a breakdown of the Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Industry Development Act.

Students actively engaged with the speakers, raising questions on both the technical aspects and socioeconomic implications of LNG use. An interactive quiz further enriched student participation and learning.

The lecture is part of GPDP 3’s ongoing efforts to build local expertise in natural gas as the Philippines positions LNG as a key bridge fuel in its transition toward cleaner, more reliable energy sources.

GPDP is an energy initiative supporting the Department of Energy (DOE) in advancing the Philippines’ downstream natural gas sector. In its third phase, GPDP assists DOE in finalizing the sector’s regulatory framework, strengthening the capacities of regulators, and providing essential data to inform policy making and sectoral planning. GPDP 3 is implemented by the UP Statistical Center Research Foundation, Inc. (UPSCRFI), in collaboration with DOE, and funded by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).