Manila, July 14 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said the MTerra Solar Project, the world's largest operational integrated solar-and-battery facility on a single site, will help shield the Philippines from global energy shocks by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening the country's long-term energy security.

Leading the inauguration of Phase 1 of the project in Nueva Ecija, Marcos said the facility mirrors the government's push to diversify the country's energy sources at a time when global fuel markets remain vulnerable to geopolitical conflicts, including the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East that triggered fresh spikes in world oil prices.

Marcos noted that coal still accounted f...