‘Many firms interested in Semirara coal contract’

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

February 26, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Energy Secretary Sharon Garin is confident that “many” industry players will vie for Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC)’s prized coal contract in Antique, whose auction is set to open this Friday.

“I think there will be many companies that will be interested,” Garin said in an interview, while noting that no firm has formally conveyed its intent to the Department of Energy (DOE).

Prospective bidders, she said, may still be waiting for the release of the terms of reference for the competitive bidding.

Garin also said that the auction would not be based on price offers, but rather on which company is “most capable” of sustaining or even improving coal mining operations within the contract area.

“Of course, Semirara has proven itself already, so any other challengers for that should prove that they could do better than Semirara,” Garin stressed.

Under a pre-determined area bid round, the DOE will offer 10 blocks on Semirara Island, a site long associated with the Consunji Group due to its decades of operations.

The bid round will also include three blocks in Amulung and Iguig, Cagayan, and five blocks in Benito Soliven, Naguilian and Cauayan, Isabela.

Asked whether state-run PNOC Exploration Corp. can join the auction, Garin said she had reminded DOE’s attached agencies to step aside for now and allow private companies to take the lead.

“We only come in when the private (sector) is not interested or is not capable. Later, PNOC can come in as a partner or in any form, but I do prefer that it’s private,” she said.

Tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan’s MVP Group, the Consunji family’s partner in Maynilad Water Services Inc., already signaled its interest in securing the coal contract.

While nothing is finalized yet, Pangilinan said going after the contract is “certainly” on the group’s “radar,” especially for Meralco PowerGen Corp.

An industry source told The STAR the Aboitiz Group and tycoon Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corp. may also submit bids, given their existing presence in the cement industry.

Aside from power generation, coal is also a good additive in cement production.

An Aboitiz Power Corp. executive has said coal mining falls outside the scope of their business, while Ang told The STAR he is still undecided about the bidding.

SMPC chairman Isidro Consunji, meanwhile, said the company is gearing up for the auction and intends to offer the government its “most advantageous mining plan.”