Philippines | A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

Can #Philippines become #CriticalMinerals powerhouse with help from #US, #Japan?

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A digital representation of a chess game featuring blue and red chess pieces on a checkerboard background with an outline of the Asia map.

The US and Japan have an ambition to transform the Philippines into a critical minerals powerhouse and cut their reliance on China as part of a broader economic partnership, but analysts warn that a lack of commitment by Manila to introduce comprehensive reforms and tackle corruption could hamper the goal.

A report by the US-based think tank Centre for a New American Security (CNAS) said cooperation between the three countries was central to leveraging the Philippines’ vast potential as a source of critical minerals and rare earths to strengthen Washington’s regional deterrence.

“The United States and Japan are already among the Philippines’ top trading partners, but there are opportunities to enhance trade and investment ties in energy, infrastructure, telecommunications and critical minerals,” it said.

Why #Philippines struggles to tap its US$1 trillion #CriticalMineral wealth

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A map of the Philippines showcasing various minerals. The areas are labeled with 'Copper,' 'Gold,' 'Nickel,' and 'Zinc,' surrounded by images of mining activities and mineral deposits.

Without a proper road map to grow its mining sector, the country remains a ‘second-tier mineral economy’.

As the Philippines forms partnerships with several countries to harness its potentially huge wealth of critical minerals, analysts have called for a coherent road map to develop the country’s mining industry to globally competitive standards.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration has signed multiple agreements over the past months, including a memorandum of understanding with the United States to cooperate on diversifying global critical mineral supply chains.

The accord, signed during an inaugural ministerial meeting on critical minerals hosted by Washington last month, is expected to shift Manila’s mining sector from raw mineral ore exports to domestic processing.

Talks on a critical minerals deal between the Philippines and Canada are also in progress. Earlier this month, a delegation from the Philippines took part in the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention in Toronto, a key gathering for the global mining industry.

Philippines could tap huge global opportunities to grow its industry, as it possessed the world’s fifth-largest mineral reserves, with an estimated US$1 trillion in untapped supplies of copper, gold, nickel, zinc and silver.

Only about 5 per cent of these reserves have been explored, and mining contracts cover just 3 per cent of mineralized areas. At the same time, global demand for these resources, driven by climate change mitigation, clean energy and the broader energy transition, is expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future.