President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. carried out an aerial survey of the Malampaya Phase 4 Project in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, on Thursday, July 23, to check on the development of the nation’s premier natural gas infrastructure.
The flyover was part of a broader series of official engagements during the Chief Executive’s visit to the province.
According to Malacañang, the activity underscores the administration’s focus on expediting the growth of the Malampaya gas field—the country’s sole commercial indigenous natural gas asset—which previously faced exhaustion by 2027 without new exploration efforts.
Official statistics reveal that imported fuels accounted for 52% (35.18 million tons of oil equivalent) of the national energy supply in 2025, with domestic sources filling the remaining 48%. Furthermore, imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) comprised 55% of the overall gas supply, while Malampaya supplied 45%.
The Phase 4 initiative centers on three new drilling locations: Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1), Camago-3, and Bagong Pag-asa-1. The MAE-1 and Camago-3 sites successfully underwent drilling and testing in early 2026, uncovering a combined reserve estimate of roughly 222 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
By June 2026, the Department of Energy (DOE) finished laying the subsea pipeline linking these two wells to the primary Malampaya production facility.
Commercial gas delivery from MAE-1 and Camago-3 is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2026, even as prep work for the Bagong Pag-asa-1 well proceeds.
Energy officials project that the newly tapped reserves will generate about 31.46 billion kilowatt-hours of power—sufficient to supply 13.11 million households for a full year. The added output is expected to extend Malampaya’s operational lifespan from 2027 out to 2034.
To further bolster national power security, Marcos ordered the DOE to step up gas exploration elsewhere, roll out investor incentives, reassess existing upstream contracts around the Malampaya area, and establish consolidated buying frameworks for domestic gas.