Pasay City – First Gen Corporation subsidiary Bac-Man Geothermal, Inc. (BGI), the owner and operator of the 197.27-megawatt (MW) Bac-Man geothermal power plant in Bicol, received a special recognition on Oct. 7, 2026, during the 2026 Asean Energy Awards in Pasay City.
BGI earned the National Strategic Excellence Award under the Asean Renewable Energy category from the Asean Centre for Energy (ACE), a Jakarta-based intergovernmental organisation which sponsors the Asean Energy Award, Southeast Asia’s highest recognition, to promote private sector participation in the development of the region’s energy sector.
A part of the First Gen Renewables portfolio, Bac-Man was recognised for its operational excellence and compliance—highlighted by its National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) Blackstart Service Accreditation and a win at the Department of Energy’s 2025 Sustainable Energy Awards for On-Grid Renewable Energy Projects.
Bac-Man’s geothermal steamfield, which sits on Manito, Albay and Bacon, Sorsogon, has been supplying steam to the Bac-Man Geothermal Power Plant since 1993.
Before First Gen acquired it in 2010, the facility was not producing any electricity as it suffered extensive damage from a previous typhoon.. Post-acquisition, it underwent extensive rehabilitation and modernisation, and within two years, the facility was restored to its full capacity.
In 2020, the plant faced another challenge when Super Typhoon Rolly, recognised as the world’s most powerful cyclone in that year, left a trail of devastation across the country. Already grappling with the impact of the pandemic, Bicol further endured the loss of lives and the destruction from the super typhoon.
During this challenging time, Bac-Man (BGI) extended its services to the public beyond its contracted obligations by providing power to the Bicol grid, making them the lone power provider. Its ‘islanding operations’ have helped Bicolanos recover from the aftermath of the super typhoon and the pandemic.
In 2025, the facility avoided emissions of close to a million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) or exactly 955,757.77 tCO₂e, by maintaining 100-percent renewable energy use in its operations and keeping zero discharge through complete geothermal fluid reinjection. The avoided emission was equivalent to keeping more than 200,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year.
Bac-Man was also recognised for putting heavy priority on local economic participation, with over 90 per cent of its 2025 procurement spend sourced from local contractors and vendors.
The Asean RE Project Awards is one of the categories under the Asean Energy Award, and the National Strategic Excellence award acknowledges renewable energy projects that hold strong national relevance, demonstrating contributions to the acceleration of RE growth at the national level.
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