Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla of the Philippines has revealed that the government is progressing towards finalizing its first service contracts for native hydrogen exploration. The bidding process for hydrogen exploration service contracts in Central Luzon has made significant strides, with five applications received during the August 2024 bid round. These applications, focusing on predetermined areas (PDAs) known as PDA-PH-1 and PDA-PH-2, have now moved beyond initial evaluations and are set for a more detailed review. While specific details of the bidding process remain undisclosed, Lotilla indicated that the deadlines for interested companies have already elapsed. The Department of Energy (DOE) anticipates completing a comprehensive assessment, encompassing legal, technical, and financial evaluations, by the end of 2024. Successful applicants will then be presented for approval to President Marcos Jr. Lotilla assured that formal announcements will follow once the contracts receive the President's endorsement. Notably, this bid round has attracted a substantial number of valid applications for PDAs, surpassing the figures from previous bidding rounds held in 2015 and 2018-2019.