The Philippine mining industry continues to gain support from foreign nations as envoys from
Australia, the European Union, and Japan openly expressed optimism on the country’s potential to
be a strong partner in the mining value chain within the next decade.
In the recent mining forum initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) and co-organized with international think tank Stratbase Institute, Australian Ambassador
Hae Kyong Yu put in a lot of encouraging words for the Filipinos by saying that “the Philippines, with
its rich natural resources, can achieve what Australia has achieved.”
The Australian diplomat focused on the bilateral ties that continue to bind the two nations to a
higher level. ‘Given Australia’s expertise and the Philippines’ commitment to developing a world-
class, sustainable and environment-friendly mining sector, our strategic partnership is made in
heaven,” Yu said. “It’s a perfect match.”
Yu also vowed to get Australian companies to invest in the Philippine mines and to provide the
latest mining equipment, technology and services.
Trade between the Philippines and Australia amounted to $8.2 billion in 2022, making the Aussies
the 17th largest trading partner of the Filipinos.
In the mining sector, the Philippines sits atop a motherlode of critical minerals — gold, silver, copper
and chromite- with an estimated value of $1.6 trillion. Given the expected demand for technologies
in renewable energy production and climate action in the next two decades, the Philippine
government has called on industrial nation-partners to partner for responsible mining and explore
further opportunities the country offers.
The Australian diplomat viewed those remarks as an opportunity to boost the two nations’ strategic
partnership and as a potential solution to the global challenge of keeping a sustainable critical
mineral supply chain.“As you can see, the demand for critical minerals is going up but the supply is vulnerable to disruptions,” Yu said. “This is where Australia and the Philippines with their strategic partnership can come in.
The Australian embassy, Yu said, has been trying to drum up support for Philippine mining
investments and has programmed discussions between the government and the private sector on
issues as government support, peace and order, as well as community support.
Apart from Yu, the other envoys David Hartman of Canada, Endo Kazuya of Japan and Luc Veron of
the European Union Delegation also delved into various topics such as mineral production, mining
supply security, “green” investments and environmental and health issues.
The powerhouse Philippine team to the mining forum included Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, National Commission for
Indigenous People (NCIP) Chairperson Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las, National Economic Development
Authority (NEDA) Secretary-General Arsenio Balisacan, Special Assistant to the President for
Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Undersecretary for the Industry Development Group Ceferino Rodolfo, Anti-Red Tape Authority
(ARTA) Director-General and Secretary Ernesto Perez, DENR Undersecretary for Integrated
Environmental Science Carlos Primo David and DENR Undersecretary for Strategic Communications
Marilou Erni, and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) President and
Quirino Governor Dakila “Dax” Cua.
Private sector stakeholders were represented by Michael Toledo, chairman of the Chamber of
Mines; Ryan Washburn, Mission Director of the USAID; Joan Adaci-Cattiling, president of Oceana
Gold Philippines; Luis Sarmiento, president of the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment
Association; and, Mohsen Bonakdarpour, Executive Director of Economic Consulting, S&P Global
Market Intelligence.
