'Stronger gov't support key to lifting Phl's geothermal ranking'

The Marcos administration must flex its full muscle in backing geothermal development to propel the Philippines up the global ranks and stop it from falling behind, according to First Gen Corp.

- By BRIX LELIS

On the sidelines of the 2025 Asia Clean Energy Summit, First Gen vice president Jay Joel Soriano stressed that elevating the Philippines' global standing requires full government support.

"When the government looks at geothermal, they see it as an old technology. This is why, for the longest time, we haven't been receiving any (support). I just call it broadly government support," he told visiting reporters yesterday.

Soriano said it took four rounds of the green energy auction program (GEAP) before geothermal contracts were even included, underscoring how limited support held back the sector.