The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with the Philippine Navy (PN), is fully capable of protecting the newly discovered Malampaya East-1 (MAE-1) natural gas reservoir off the coast of Palawan, a ranking naval official said Tuesday.
Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said monitoring and defense of the area are anchored on capability rather than the number of assets deployed. He noted that MAE-1 is located about five kilometers from the existing Malampaya gas platform and falls within the operational coverage of the AFP.
Security for the site is being handled by the Western Command (Wescom), particularly Joint Task Force (JTF) Malampaya, which has the necessary monitoring and response capabilities, Trinidad said. Wescom is tasked with detecting and responding to any potential harassment or intrusion in the area, including by foreign maritime forces.
“The AFP is prepared to support any surge in operations as required,” Trinidad added.
Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain Marissa Martinez said the Navy has long maintained a sustained presence in the Malampaya area through JTF Malampaya, utilizing naval surface, air, and special operations assets. She confirmed that MAE-1 is within Wescom’s area of responsibility and is regularly patrolled by Navy units.
Martinez also highlighted the Navy’s continuing modernization, including the recent arrival of the offshore patrol vessel BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS-20), which reached Naval Operating Base Subic on January 17 and was formally welcomed on January 20. She said such assets further enhance the Navy’s ability to protect the country’s maritime domain, exclusive economic zone, and critical infrastructure like the Malampaya gas facilities.
MAE-1 is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas and represents the first milestone of the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign. The program also includes the Camago-2, Camago-3, and Bagong Pag-asa wells, aimed at securing additional domestic gas resources.
The project is being undertaken by the SC3A consortium led by Prime Energy, in partnership with UC38, PNOC Exploration Corporation, and Prime Oil & Gas Inc.
