The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted a high-level security inspection of the Malampaya gas field off the coast of Palawan on Friday, following the recent discovery of significant new natural gas reserves in the area.
AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. led the visit to the Joint Task Force (JTF) Malampaya area of responsibility to evaluate the military’s operational readiness in protecting the nation’s critical energy infrastructure.
In a statement released Saturday, the AFP emphasized that the mission aimed to assess current security measures, including maritime and air patrol operations and inter-agency coordination.
The goal is to ensure the uninterrupted and safe operation of the Malampaya Natural Gas Power Project, which is situated in the West Philippine Sea.
The inspection follows a major breakthrough by Prime Energy, the operator of Service Contract No. 38.
The company confirmed the presence of approximately 98 billion cubic feet of additional natural gas and associated condensate at the previously untapped Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1) reservoir.
According to Prime Energy, the initial data suggests these new volumes are equivalent to about one-third of the remaining producible gas in the existing Malampaya field.
Brawner underscored the necessity of “sustained vigilance” among the personnel tasked with guarding the country’s offshore resources.
“The AFP continues to intensify its presence and monitoring operations in key strategic areas as part of its broader mission to defend national sovereignty, uphold maritime rights, and ensure the protection of critical infrastructure essential to national development,” the AFP stated.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. Marissa Martinez previously confirmed that the Navy maintains sufficient capabilities at the Western Command (Wescom) to conduct sustained patrols around the MAE-1 site.
