Better mining infrastructure seen to draw in foreign partners

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines needs to provide better mining infrastructure to be able to make its minerals sector more attractive to foreign partners, particularly the United States, according to a Hawaii-based foreign policy research institute.

On the sidelines of a briefing under the Foreign Press Centers’ International Reporting tour, Pacific Forum senior resident fellow Akhil Ramesh told The Star that infrastructure is vital in attracting partners in the minerals sector

“It’s about the infrastructure in the case of mining. So a country with established industrial parks or already existing processing ecosystems to mine will be much easier than one that is in its nascent stages,” Ramesh said.

“While the Philippines has some, it still need to step up simultaneously,” he added.

In April, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it wants the US to consider partnering with the Philippines on the processing of critical minerals, similar to a deal the American government recently signed with Japan.

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual expressed the country’s interest in such partnership during his meeting with US Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai.

Citing the Critical Minerals Agreement (CMA) between the US and Japan, Pascual enjoined Tai to consider entering into a similar partnership with the Philippines.

“With the Philippines’ abundance of critical mineral reserves vis-à-vis the United States’ nickel demand for processing into batteries for electric vehicles, it is high time that we seize the opportunities for our countries to work together and address the respective gaps in our supply chains,” he said earlier.

Tai noted one of the key aims of the CMA is to build supply chains that are robust, resilient and secure.

Signed last March 28, the CMA between the US and Japan builds on the 2019 US-Japan Trade Agreement and aims to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains, as well as promote the adoption of electric vehicle battery technologies.