Philippines to auction off 18 coal blocks starting end-February

The bid round covers three coal areas, Antique, Cagayan, and Isabela.

The Philippines’ Department of Energy (DOE) will launch a bid round on 27 February 2026 for coal Pre-Determined Areas (PDAs) covering development and production, according to a press release.

The bid round will offer three coal areas encompassing 18 coal blocks in Semirara Island in Antique, Amulung and Iguig in Cagayan, and Benito Soliven, Naguilian and Cauayan in Isabela. The areas will be awarded through Coal Operating Contracts under a competitive process.

Interested and qualified parties will have 60 calendar days from the launch date to submit application documents. A pre-submission conference will be held 20 calendar days after launch to clarify requirements and address bidder queries.

Coal operations under the programme will remain subject to applicable safety, environmental and regulatory standards.