The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has stepped up security measures to safeguard the country’s new natural gas discovery in the Malampaya Field, underscoring its role in protecting critical energy infrastructure vital to national development.

In a statement released Saturday, the AFP said a briefing was conducted on existing security measures, ongoing maritime and air patrol operations, and inter-agency coordination to ensure the continuous and safe operation of the Malampaya facility.

“A briefing was conducted on current security measures, ongoing maritime and air patrol operations, and inter-agency coordination efforts implemented to ensure the continuous and safe operation of the Malampaya facility,” the AFP said.

“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,” it added.

On Friday, 23 January, the AFP conducted a monitoring patrol and site visit within the Joint Task Force Malampaya area of responsibility to assess readiness in safeguarding the Malampaya Natural Gas Power Project.

Led by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., the patrol and site visit included an aerial inspection over the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project. Brawner said the activity demonstrated the military’s commitment to protecting strategic national assets.

He also commended the personnel of JTF Malampaya for their dedication and readiness in carrying out their mandate amid evolving maritime security challenges.

Malampaya East 1 (MAE-1), located about five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya Field, is estimated to contain around 98 billion cubic feet of gas in place.

“Katumbas nito ang halos labing apat na bilyong kilowatt hour ng kuryente sa isang taon. Ibig sabihin, makakapagsuplay ito ng kuryente sa mahigit 5.7 milyong kabahayan, siyam na libo’t limang daan na gusali, o halos dalawang daan libong paaralan sa loob ng isang taon,” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos said initial testing showed the well flowed at 60 million cubic feet per day, indicating high productivity compared with the original Malampaya wells and potential for increased output.

He added that MAE-1 is the first milestone under the Malampaya Phase 4 drilling campaign, which also includes the Camago-2 and Bagong Pag-asa wells.

“The next steps are the completion and testing of the Camago-3, followed by the drilling of the Pag-asa Exploration well to pursue more potential gas resources,” the President said.