Philippine coal giant slashes output target as contract expiry looms

Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC), the Philippines' largest coal producer, is scaling back its coal output and eliminating over 400 mine-site positions amid uncertainty over the renewal of its mining contract for the country's biggest coal mine.

In an August 10 statement, the company announced it had cut its 2026 coal production target to around 13 million tonnes – down by more than one-third from its previous indicative target of 16-20 million tonnes per year. The revision comes as SMPC's coal operating contract for the Semirara Island mine is