DOE opens 2026 coal bid round for Semirara

The Department of Energy has opened the 2026 Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program Pre-Determined Areas Bid Round for Coal, auctioning 18 coal blocks across 18,000 hectares including 10 blocks in Semirara Island in Antique under Semirara Mining and Power Corp. ahead of its coal operating contract expiration in July 2027.

The bid round covers three pre-determined areas in Semirara Island in Caluya, Antique, Amulung and Iguig in Cagayan, and Benito Soliven, Naguilian and Cauayan in Isabela.

The DOE has said it will not extend SMPC’s Coal Operating Contract No. 5 and will instead subject the Semirara area to competitive rebidding.

The agency said the areas offered for bidding are aligned with expiring or expired contracts to allow a transparent and competitive contracting process for the next phases of development.

Aside from Semirara, the five coal blocks in Isabela were previously covered by PNOC Exploration Corp. under Coal Operating Contract No. 122, which expired in December 2022.

The DOE said the three coal blocks in Cagayan were previously covered by DM Wenceslao and Associates Inc., with the contract expiring in June 2024.

DOE Assistant Secretary Myra Fiera R. Ro said applicants must submit comprehensive legal, technical and financial documentation to qualify for a new coal operating contract.

Ro said applicants must also submit a five-year work program that covers development and production plans, environmental protection measures, social development initiatives, emergency preparedness, and progressive mine rehabilitation and decommissioning programs.

The DOE said financial requirements include minimum working capital equivalent to 100% of the financial commitment for the first contract year, along with separate capital allocations for each PCECP application.

The DOE said foreign financial guarantees are subject to a maximum 40% equity participation limit.

“The government’s role is to ensure that any activity involving our energy resources is undertaken transparently, competitively, and with full accountability,” DOE Undersecretary Alessandro Sales said.

Sales said any aspiring proponent must demonstrate “sound technical capability, strong financial capacity, and a credible plan that puts safety, environmental protection, community development, and progressive rehabilitation at the center of operations.”

Semirara Island hosts the country’s biggest operating coal mine, which makes the rebidding significant for both domestic fuel supply and the local economy in Antique.

The DOE scheduled a pre-submission conference on March 19, 2026, with applications due by 11 a.m. on April 28, and the opening of documents set at 1 p.m. on the same day.