The Philippines has long been known as one of the world’s most mineralized countries, but continues to grapple with unlocking its full mining potential. For decades, red tape, policy uncertainty, and public distrust have kept investors away, even as the country sat atop the proverbial pot of gold.   However, this year’s leap in the 2024 Fraser Institut...

In August, I attended the launch of Unilab Education (UniEd), the Unilab Group’s response to a longstanding national challenge: the mismatch between graduates’ skills and the available jobs.    At this event, attended by the Secretary of Education, the Director General of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Chair of th...

The interplay of geopolitics and natural resources has become increasingly pronounced in modern times, with countries vying for access to critical minerals vital for economic and technological development. Recent events, such as the hostility between Israel and Iran, with the United States striking Iran’s three nuclear sites, have significant ripple ef...

At least once a year, when International Women’s Month is celebrated in March, we are reminded to pause and take stock of the role of women in resources development. The mining industry in the Philippines, like many other countries, has traditionally been male-dominated.  Nevertheless, there are marked efforts to increase women's participation and addr...

The recent October monthly meeting of the Philippine Mining and Exploration Association (PMEA) was filled to capacity as industry players eagerly awaited the keynote of newly appointed Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Assistant Secretary (ASec.) for Mining Concerns and concurrent OIC Director of the Mines & Geosciences Bureau (MG...

The Philippines has achieved a milestone in supporting the global response to the threat of climate change with its election last July as the host country of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. The country’s bid, which won over seven other contenders, was prepared through a whole-of government approach led by the Department of Envi...

It has been a busy time for earnest discussions on the way forward for the Philippine mining industry with mining being identified as one of five priority areas for investment and clear signals from the national government that it is recognized as a key driver for economic growth. On 10 May 2024, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DEN...

With the recent pronouncements of the newly appointed Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs, Frederick Go, that mining is at the top of the government’s list of five priority areas [the other four being semiconductors, agriculture, steel, and pharmaceutical industries], expectations are high that this administration will finally deliver ...

At the recently concluded Mining Philippines 2023, Undersecretary Carlos Primo David, speaking on behalf of DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, detailed how the department is focusing on government-led exploration targeting critical minerals needed to transition to renewable energy. The limited budget of PHP60 million for minerals exploration, h...

Obtaining the approval and trust of indigenous people (IPs)/indigenous cultural communities (ICCs) is one of the biggest challenges faced by mining companies operating in areas forming part of their ancestral domains.  In line with the objective of Diwata-Women in Resource Development’s major advocacy of working with indigenous people, with a special e...

This issue marks a special occasion in the history of Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. (Diwata), celebrating a decade of achievements from Diwata’s founding on Nelson Mandela Day.  While 2013 is actually our 11th year of existence, the pandemic did not allow us to have in-person activities in 2020-2021.  Our “10th-anniversary” celebration at the...

Photo credit: Paul Putong/The United States Embassy for the photos  The Philippines is acknowledged to be the fifth most mineralized country in the world, with an estimated USD1 trillion in untapped reserves of copper, gold, nickel, zinc and silver. Recent statistics from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) indicate that there are only 49 operating ...

Allow me to take this opportunity to pay my respects to our 12th President, Fidel Valdez Ramos, who passed away on 31 July 2022.  PFVR is credited with many things, including ushering a period of stability and creating an environment conducive for investments, but the mining industry is understandably most grateful to him for the passage during his term o...

As Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. (“Diwata”) marks its tenth-year anniversary on July 18 this year (incidentally, also Nelson Mandela Day), it takes pride announcing the launch of an award to recognize the best Social Development & Management Program that specifically benefits indigenous peoples, specifically women and girls. When Diwat...

Photo credit: Good News Pilipinas As this column is being written, there are less than 100 days to go before the May 9 elections.  Many voters have made their minds up from the outset, some purely based on their visceral reactions to, and past experiences with, the candidates.  However, we owe it to ourselves and future generations to scrutinize the ca...

In recent years, ESG - environmental, social and governance – has become a major concern in corporate boardrooms: criteria by which strategy is developed and risks are assessed.  While the term may be relatively new [having been coined as late as 2005 in a study of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) entitled “Who Cares Wins”],  it has always been...