A major milestone, especially given the ongoing energy emergency in the country.
On Thursday, March 26, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reported that a major development in the Malampaya gas field in Palawan.
“Today, I am proud to announce another step forward in our mission to secure affordable, reliable energy for every Filipino,” the President said in a video message, where he announced that the Camago-3 well was successfully drilled and tested.
According to him, the new well is able to produce up to 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. “It is the second major milestone under our USD893 million Malampaya Phase 4 campaign, and it is significantly larger than our first,” he also said.
The President said Camago-3 contains more pil reserve than the Malampaya East-1 that was discovered last January 2026.
“Camago-3 holds an estimated 2.5 times more recoverable gas than the Malampaya East-1 discovery. Together, these two wells are projected to extend the life of the Malampaya gas field by an estimated six years,” furthered Marcos.
For the consumers, he explained that Malampaya gas costs roughly PHP4.80 per kilowatt-hour, whilst imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) costs PHP10.30.
“Ano ang ibig sabihin nito para sa inyo? It means more power. Steadier power. And cheaper power,” he said. “Every unit of power we generate from Malampaya instead of imported fuel is money saved by households, by small businesses, by every Filipino who pays an electricity bill.”
Meanwhile, he also announced the installation of new subsea pipelines to support expanded gas delivery, which are the first to be laid since 2000.
“Ibig sabihin, may bagong tubo na itatanim sa ilalim ng dagat para maihatid ang gas mula sa pinagkukunan nito patungo sa ating mga tahanan at negosyo.We are not just extending a gas field. We are rebuilding our energy infrastructure from the ground up,” added the Chief Executive.
Marcos also stated the government is targeting the first gas delivery by the fourth quarter of 2026, with additional drilling projects underway, such as Bagong Pag-asa located north of Malampaya.
“This is indigenous energy. It is ours. This is our future. And it is how we protect every Filipino from the burden of rising global fuel prices,” noting that the energy emergency situation caused by the Middle East crisis.
The Malampaya Project supplies up to 20 percent of Luzon’s electricity requirements.