Photo credit: PH Stocks Integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) posted P10.8 billion in second-quarter net income, 171 percent better than the P4 billion reported last year. All-time high coal selling prices coupled with higher spot electricity sales volume at elevated prices accounted for the upsurge. From January ...

Photo: Group photo of the participants after the MGB Management approved the Capstone Project (CP) for implementation during CP Orientation on July 12, 2022 With the start of online transactions, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is currently developing a system that will serve as a digital platform for the submission of the compliances by the min...

San Miguel Corp. (SMC), one of the country’s largest and most diversified conglomerates, is set to open a USD500 million electric car battery plant in Dinagat Islands province, Governor Nilo Demerey Jr. said Thursday. Demerey confirmed the company’s decision to establish the plant in Dinagat Islands after his meeting with SMC president and chief execut...

Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega met with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd (KHNP) executives last July 19 to discuss future Philippines-Republic of Korea (ROK) cooperation on nuclear technology and renewable energy. The KHNP executives include Project and Overseas Nuclear Business Division Executive Vice President Nam...

Photo credit: A subsidiary of Enrique Razon Jr.-led company has signed a share purchase agreement to formalize the acquisition of stakes in Malampaya gas field from Dennis Uy’s firm. In a statement Friday, Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. bared that its unit, Prime Exploration Pte. Ltd., sealed the share purchase deal with MEXP Holding Pte. Ltd., ...

Photo credit: IHS Markit Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday he will fully support the plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to explore the country’s potentials on nuclear energy as a cheap and reliable source. Marcos said in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday that if the country wants to attract investors, both loc...

Photo credit: Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia - French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz The French government is keen to help the Philippines develop its nuclear power program as the Marcos administration looks for other reliable sources of energy. French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz said the embassy has met with some of the Cabinet member...

Photo credit: Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of the Philippines - Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian China is ready to restart talks on oil and gas exploration with the Philippines as soon as the latter gives the go signal, Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said Wednesday. "In the field of energy, we hope that we will continue ...

Photo credit: Rappler - Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, Manila The government will build several bridges in Metro Manila to further improve mobility, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday. Secretary Manuel Bonoan said construction and development in the National Capital Region (NCR) will include “I think, five or six bridges, ac...

An official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday said the Metro Manila Subway Project has reached 60 percent completion rate on procurement. “Metro Manila Subway is 33 kilometers (km) from Valenzuela all the way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), around 17 stations. We expect to provide daily ridership from 400,000 to as...

Photo: The government will review other funding options for several major railway projects that were proposed to be financed by China. Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Japanese government, the World Bank, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are among the options to finance the projects. (PNA file photo) The government will review fun...

Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (“Atlas Mining”) completed the first half of the year 2022 with a reported net income of Php2 billion compared to the net income of Php1.935 billion for the same period in 2021. The improvement in the bottom line is attributed to the considerable increase in grades and metal prices during the first hal...

Photo credit: Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte logo Ilocos Norte is set to recognize the public and the private sector’s initiatives and exemplary achievements in promoting responsible mining. Provincial administrator Yvette Convento-Leynes confirmed this on Monday as she reported that the awarding of outstanding partners is set on July 27 in t...

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) announced on 10 March 2022 that the DENR has granted MPSA 352-2022-VI to DMCI Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC). The MPSA is for SMPC’s Hamalian Limestone Project which is located at Semirara Island in Caluya, Antique. The project covers an area of 3,807.0571-hectares. This MPSA now g...

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is inching closer to delivering the entire 30-kilometer Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) Project which is 96 percent overall complete to date. In his report to Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, DPWH Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Operations Emil K. Sadain said that the first...

Last June 3, 2022, Gov. Tamayo announced in a public statement his decision to veto Ordinance No. 23, Series of 2022 that was passed by the Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP) (or Provincial Board) of South Cotabato last May 16, 2022. The ordinance modified the Provincial Environmental Code of South Cotabato and lifted the ban on open-pit mining in the province....

Photo credit:  Senator Robinhood Padilla filed a resolution, urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resume bilateral talks for cooperation on oil-gas development in the West Philippine Sea. Padilla said on Thursday Senate Resolution 9 aims to address the problems caused by the rising prices of oil due to international circumstances like the Russia...

What does it take to own and operate a mining company in the Philippines? Mining is one of the industries that heavily revolves around a number of laws and regulations. On Day 2 of the Philippine Mining Virtual Summit (17 March 2022), Atty Dennis A. Quintero of the Quisumbing Torres Law Office was one of the presenters. Atty Quintero gave a comprehensi...

Photo Integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) won four awards in the 12th Institutional Investor Corporate Awards 2022 of Hong Kong-based Alpha Southeast Asia magazine. Based on a poll of over 500 investors and analysts across Southeast Asia, as well as United States and Europe, SMPC emerged as one of the eight best-ma...

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) welcomed the nomination of Ma. Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga as its new secretary under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. DENR OIC Secretary Ernesto D. Adobo Jr. expressed optimism over Yulo-Loyzaga’s nomination, as he envisions a more climate-resilient Philippines u...

Photo credit: build.gov.ph China on Sunday said it is “negotiating” with the Philippines over the funding of some infrastructure projects after a Philippine transport official bared that these were deemed “withdrawn” due to Beijing’s inaction on funding requests by the previous administration. The Chinese Embassy issued the clarification after Trans...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants more investments in the rail transport sector as he directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to go back to the negotiating table to secure the loan agreements for three big-ticket railway projects, the agency said on Saturday. “The President was referring to the Subic-Clark Railway Project; the Philippine Na...

The loan agreements for three railway projects are now considered “withdrawn” after the Chinese government failed to act on the funding requests by the Duterte administration, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Friday. DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez said negotiations for the three projects began in 2018 and have ...

That is how, Dr. Rogel A. Santos, the OIC-Chief of the Marine Geological Survey Division (MGSD) of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) recounted the seminar-workshop that was held on June 6-8, 2022 at Subic Bay Travelers Hotel in Subic Bay, Zambales. The seminar-workshop: “Application of Marine Geophysics and Ecosystem Studies on the Development of Gui...