(From left to right) Chairs of Joint Review and Evaluation Committee (J-REC), Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Alessandro Sales, Minister of Interior and Local Government (MILG) Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba, and Minister of Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) Akmad Brahim during the evaluation of submitted applications for the Pre-Determined Areas for Coal in the Bangsamoro region in Davao City on May 27-28, 2024. (Photo courtesy of MENRE)
COTABATO CITY—National and Bangsamoro Governments will soon commence coal exploration as the Joint Review and Evaluation Committee (J-REC) began evaluating the submitted application documents for Pre-Determined Areas for Coal in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) (PDA-BC-1) on May 28.
Following the launch of the 1st BARMM Conventional Energy Bid Round on Feb. 26, one Coal Operating Contract (COC) applicant submitted its application documents on Monday, May 27.
In line with the prescribed timeline for awarding COCs for PDA-BC-1, a one-day event for the last-call submission and opening of application documents or bids was organized by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy’s (MENRE) Energy Management and Development Services (EMDS) and the Department of Energy (DOE) Philippines at Park Inn Hotel, Davao City.
This submission and evaluation of bids marked a significant step forward for the BARMM and the National Government’s initiative on investment, exploration, development, and production of coal resources within the region.
For BARMM’s coal exploration, the site is situated in Kapai and Tagoloan, Lanao del Sur, covering a total area of 14,856 hectares. This site was unveiled on Feb. 26 during the Energy Bid Round for interested energy investors.
Minister of the Interior and Local Government, Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba, also a co-chair of the J-REC for the Bangsamoro Government, mentioned that the collaboration between MENRE and DOE, alongside the active participation of various stakeholders, underscores the shared vision for a prosperous and sustainable future.
“It is through our collective efforts that we will transform these resources into lasting benefits for our communities,” she said.
J-REC Co-chairperson from the National Government, DOE Undersecretary Alessandro O. Sales, emphasized, “This is another milestone as we continue our journey in the Intergovernmental Energy Board, particularly in the upstream sector.”
He added, “A lot more things need to be done. However, if we continue to collaborate and work together with the right intentions in our hearts, we can overcome any obstacle and fulfill our respective mandates to deliver benefits for the Bangsamoro and the national government.”
Looking forward, MENRE Minister Akmad Brahim said, “We are starting a journey to tap into BARMM’s coal resources, which will boost economic growth, create jobs, and improve energy security.”
“Developing these resources responsibly is key to meeting our region’s energy needs and supporting the Philippines’ overall energy supply,” he added.
The bid round is primarily part of the operationalization of the provision outlined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), specifically Article XIII, Section 10, which empowers the National Government and the Bangsamoro Government to jointly grant rights, privileges, and concessions for the exploration, development, and utilization of uranium and fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal within the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro.
To recall, the said provision in the BOL was largely operationalized when Minister Brahim and DOE Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla signed the Intergovernmental Energy Board (IEB) Circular on the Joint Award of Petroleum Service Contracts and Coal Operating Contracts at Malacañang Palace on July 6, 2023, witnessed by His Excellency, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim. (Kasan Usop Jr./BIO with reports from MENRE)
