MAKATI CITY — The pilot Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Conventional Energy Bid Round for Petroleum Service Contracts was opened by the National and Bangsamoro Governments yesterday, August 27, after joint promotional campaigns drew submissions of bid applications from potential investors for the three (3) Pre-Determined Areas for Petroleum in the BARMM (PDA-BP).

Covered in the bid round is PDA-BP-1 in Cotabato Basin, which encompasses Cotabato City and the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur and extends 229,240 hectares. PDA-BP-2 and PDA-BP-3 are in the Sulu Sea Basin, with areas of 780,000 hectares and 532,083 hectares, respectively.

In her remarks, Minister Atty. Sha EIijah B. Dumama-Alba, Co-chairperson of the Joint Review and Evaluation Committee (J-REC) for the BG, shared that the promotional campaigns for the Energy Bid Round aimed to expand and strengthen engagements with potential investors and stakeholders. This bid round for petroleum, she said, is another breakthrough of the concerted endeavors between the two governments.

“It is the shared responsibility of both governments to ensure that the Petroleum Service Contracts are awarded only to those who are not just eligible but compliant and environmentally responsible. This shared vision emphasizes the importance of fostering the exploration and development of indigenous petroleum resources in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region,” the BARMM Co-chair said.

In May this year, the NG and BG also launched the 1st BARMM Conventional Energy Bid Round for Coal Operating Contracts (COC), which brought the nation closer to coal exploration in the Bangsamoro region. For petroleum exploration, PXP Energy, SundaGas Ltd, Philodrill Corporation, Triangle Energy Global Limited, and DML Mineral Resources Corporation submitted their bids. The opening of bid applications represents substantial progress for the BARMM’s upstream petroleum industry and the country’s as well.

J-REC Co-chairperson from the NG, Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Alessandro O. Sales, told the press that the NG is closely coordinating with the BG for the development of the indigenous energy resources in the BARMM. “It’s not the end. It’s just the beginning,” he said during the bid opening, referring to what the governments had just achieved with the bid round.

Amplifying the statement from Usec Sales, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) Akmad A. Brahim said that “what you see before you is the embodiment of that tireless effort, a testament to the strength of our partnership. The bond between the National Government and the Bangsamoro Government has become a beacon of hope, a light that shines not just for us here today, but for generations to come.”

The opening of bids for the three PDAs was immediately followed by the J-REC’s Technical Working Group’s completeness check of requirements and initial joint substantive evaluation. Adhering to the set timeline, the J-REC targets to complete the comprehensive bid evaluation of COC applications in the fourth quarter of 2024 and shall recommend to the Department of Energy Secretary and MENRE Minister for signing and awarding before the end of the year. For the PSCs, both the DOE Secretary and MENRE Minister shall endorse the recommendation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. for the signing and awarding of PSCs for the identified Pre-Determined Areas.

“As we take this monumental step forward, we carry with us the hopes and dreams of those who came before us. Their dreams were not in vain; they were the seeds that we have nurtured through our collective resolve,” Minister Brahim further expressed in his message.

In the wake of these endeavors, “we begin to see the first signs of those dreams taking root,” the Minister added, as the Bangsamoro anticipates the sustained growth of the region’s energy sector and, ultimately, the advancement of its energy security.

Last February 26, the DOE and MENRE’s Energy Management and Development Services (EMDS) launched the 1st Conventional Energy Bid Round for the BARMM, unveiling PDAs in the region for interested energy stakeholders to invest in the exploration, development, and production of coal and petroleum resources. Since then, local and international road shows were held in the cities of Davao, General Santos, Cebu, and internationally, in London, United Kingdom, Perth, Australia, and Singapore, which sparked interest from potential energy investors to participate in the recent bid submissions.