Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Monday his country will prioritise oil exploration in areas in the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone and not in conflict with other countries.

Manila and Beijing could not arrive at a "proper agreement" on how to move forward with oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, Marcos told a forum. (Reporting by Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores; Writing by Neil Jerome Morales, Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)