SEMIRARA BAGS ASEAN ENERGY AWARD

Integrated energy company Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) received top honors in the recently held Asean Energy Awards for the accelerated rehabilitation of its South Panian pit in Semirara Island, Antique.

The conglomerate won in the Special Submission category, which is reserved for projects that involve innovative and best practices in coal development.

Entries are required to show the contribution of their project toward energy transition and resilience, as well as low carbon sustainable development.

The fastest of its kind and scale in the Philippines, SMPC’s South Panian mine rehabilitation involved the accelerated backfilling and reforestation of its 168-hectare open pit.

From an elevation of 260 meters below sea level—equivalent to a 78-story building— the mined-out area is now five to 11 meters above sea level. It now includes a rolling terrain with over 350,000 seedlings of endemic and native trees.

“We share this recognition with the Department of Energy, the driving force behind this unprecedented feat. They wanted South Panian to be the model of sustainable and responsible mining in the country, and we did what we could to make this happen,” said Maria Cristina Gotianun, president and COO of SMPC.

The Panian Pit was closed in 2016 following the depletion of its mineable coal reserves. Its rehabilitation was completed in less than two years against the initial plan that was supposed to take five to 10 years.

The Asean Energy Awards is considered as Southeast Asia’s most prestigious award-giving body in the field of energy.