President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that a natural gas field was found near the Malampaya field that is set to make a major boost to the country's gas and electricity supply. In a video posted on his social media page, Marcos referred to the new energy reservoir as Malampaya East 1 or MAE-1, which is located approximately five kilometers east of the original Malampaya field and is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas. "This indicates the well has the potential to produce even more, confirming it is a high-productivity resource comparable to the original Malampaya wells,” Marcos added. "MAE-1 is the first milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign, which also includes the Camago-2, Camago-3, and Bagong Pag-asa wells, aimed at securing additional gas resources," he added. The project was pursued by the SC3A consortium led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC38 PNOC Exploration Corporation and Prime Oil & Gas Inc.

Source: Philippine Star January 19, 2026 06:46 UTC