The Consunji-led company said the redundancies amount to about 11 percent of its 4,045-strong workforce as of end-July.
“We recognize the impact of this decision on our affected employees and their families, and we will do our best to support them through this transition,” SMPC president and chief operating officer Maria Cristina C. Gotianun said in a statement on Monday.
Mine up for grabs
SMPC’s coal operating contract expires on July 14, 2027, and the government has opted to put the Semirara coal blocks through competitive bidding rather than simply extend the company’s decades-long hold on the mine.
That means SMPC can bid to continue operating Semirara, but there is no guarantee it will retain the contract, with the Department of Energy now targeting the auction between August and September.
The uncertainty has already made SMPC more cautious, cutting its 2026 spending by nearly 70 percent to P1.9 billion while it waits for the auction outcome.
Preparing for lower output
With the bidding outcome unresolved, SMPC reduced its 2026 production target by more than one-third from last year as part of its operational planning.
The company has filed a notice of redundancy with the Department of Labor and Employment covering the 462 affected workers.
SMPC said affected employees will receive separation benefits and access to possible redeployment within the DMCI Group, retraining, livelihood and relocation assistance and job placement services.
More than 2,000 of SMPC’s employees come from its host communities.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
