Issue 4
We’ve come to the end of another fruitful year, and thus your Philippine Resources Journal gives you another jam-packed Issue 4 2025 to reflect the biggest mining and related industry news before we turn the page on our calendars anew.
Our cover this issue features our longtime partner Sandvik and one of the Pantera surface-drill rigs deployed at the low-grade, high-tonnage Masbate Gold Project. The precision drilling and operational discipline provided by these machines are essential for Filminera Resources Corp. to run one of the largest operating surface mines in the Philippines, and this story starts on page 42.
Our leadoff hitter, Atty. Fernando “Ronnie” Penarroyo opens our issue with a discussion on mining and data privacy, starting on page 10. He astutely points out that data now is as much a resource as the mineral ores lying dormant in the earth waiting for extraction, and that this information must also be protected and used for the benefit of Filipinos and the national interest.
Meanwhile, esteemed lawyer Patricia A.O. Bunye asks a truly relevant question: Has the Philippines’ mining renaissance finally begun? By citing the country’s leap from 72nd to 16th in the recent Fraser Institute Investment Attractiveness Index, Atty. Trisha states that the country is indeed reclaiming its place in the global mining map. Her column starts on page 14.
Our ace journalist, Marcelle Villegas, has a pair of exclusive interviews worth consuming. First, she talks to Ms. Luisa Rast, the Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner at the Australian Embassy in Manila, and uncovers how Austrade is helping unlock opportunities in PH mining. The story is on page 78.
Marcelle then talks to Mr. Fernando Martin Juan de Achaval, Vice President of FLS Group Philippines, on why and how Antrak Philippines rebranded to the former’s company name following a management buyout - a move framed as a strategic partnership of both local and foreign principals. The article begins on page 80.
The rest of the magazine remains chock-full of the latest news and insights in the mining, construction, and allied industries. As 2025 ends, we in your Philippine Resources Journal thank you once again for your constant patronage and support. Here’s to a prosperous New Year to you all!