MANILA, the Philippines (NYMWPS) — The National Youth Movement for West Philippine Sea has officially addressed a letter dated July 15, 2024 to Philippine Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero with copies provided to Senate Energy Committee Chair Pia Cayetano, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and House Energy Committee Chair Rep. Lord Velasco.
NYMWPS is calling their attention on the 100 million pesos or $1.7 million in daily revenue loss at the Malampaya gas field that is supposed to be for the Filipino people. The youth group is also urgently asking an investigation of the renewal of the Service Contract 38 for the Malampaya gas field.
NYMWPS, a non-stock, non-profit organization registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as Nationalist Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea Inc., is composed of Filipino youth, civic leaders, active and retired professionals, former government workers, but mostly ordinary citizens who advocate for the preservation of Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity and the protection of its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.
“We seek to safeguard our natural resources (marine life, oil and gas) in our territories and in our Exclusive Economic Zone in the West Philippine Sea, and to ensure maximum economic benefit from these resources for the Filipino people which is one of the goals of NYMWPS,” said Dr. Celia Lamkin of Guam and the CNMI, NYMWPS founder and global chairperson.
The NYMWPS letter states, “We believe that our aspirations are completely in line with Pres. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., as he has stated: ‘I am going to make decisions based on my personal feelings. It will be based on what I feel is for the good of the country and our national interest.’ Our goals are also in line with Presidential Decree 8 known as the ‘The Oil Exploration and Development Act of 1972,’ which clearly outlines the requirements for individuals and companies who wish to become oil and gas service contractors.”
Eduardo V. Mañalac, a petroleum exploration geologist, a former undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Energy and former president of the Philippine National Oil Company, is a member, adviser and member of the board of trustees of NYMWPS.
He said: “P.D. 87 declares itself as the policy of the state to hasten the discovery and production of indigenous petroleum through the utilization of government and/or private resources, local or foreign. Embodied in the Act are provisions calculated for revenues to yield maximum benefit to the Filipino people. Furthermore, these revenues are meant for use in different aspects of national economic development.”
Maverick Paul Bersalona, a certified public accountant and certified forensic auditor, is the national chairperson, director for internal affairs, director for membership-youth sector and a bord member of NYMWPS.
He said based on their extensive study, the renewal agreement entered into between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines through the Office of the President, Prime Energy Resources Development B.V. (owned by Enrique Razon), UC38 LLC of Udenna Corporation (owned by Dennis Uy) and PNOC Exploration Corporation on the 20th of April 2023 is grossly disadvantageous to the Filipino people on the following grounds:
• One hundred million pesos of daily revenue has been foregone by the government when it decided to renew the service contract and continue to pay the private service contractors’ fees.
• Unlike the original Service Contract 38, no risk is assumed by the private service contractors in their exploration activities. In the renewal agreement, they are reimbursed for the expenses incurred whether the exploration is successful or not.
• The selection of private service contractors did not go through the legal bidding process.
Bersalona said the Philippine government “should take over Malampaya and bring 100 million pesos to the Filipino people.”
