PH touts untapped mineral wealth to global investors

As governments and companies seek alternative sources of strategic minerals amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, the Philippines has stepped up efforts to attract global mining investments by promoting its vast critical minerals reserves, major mining projects, and investment incentives at the Mining Asia Conference in Singapore, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) news release said.

Speaking before industry leaders, investors, and policymakers from more than 30 countries during the June 23-24 conference, Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC)-Singapore Commercial Counselor Atty. Carla Grepo said the country is well positioned to benefit from growing global demand for critical minerals used in renewable energy, electric vehicles, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing.

“Demand for critical minerals is surging, and buyers, financiers, and governments are all actively trying to diversify away from single-source dependence. The Philippines sits right in the middle of that conversation — a top-tier endowment, barely touched, just as the world goes looking for new partners,” Grepo said.

The DTI said the Philippines showcased its investment opportunities through presentations by PTIC-Singapore and the Board of Investments (BOI), as well as an exhibition booth that drew interest from prospective investors throughout the two-day conference.

BOI Acting Director for Resource-Based Industries Service Francis M. Peñaflor highlights green metals, including critical minerals, and the Philippine 4Ps strategy in his talk titled “Beyond Extraction, Toward Value Addition – Opportunities in the Critical Minerals Sector.” PHOTO FROM DTI

Grepo said the Philippines combines one of the world’s five largest resource bases for key minerals with a mining industry that has reopened after nearly a decade of limited investment activity and new fiscal rules that took effect this year.

She said the country’s biggest opportunity lies not only in extracting minerals but also in developing downstream processing facilities and attracting long-term investors, technology providers, and supply-chain partners.

She highlighted several large-scale copper-gold projects that are advancing toward development, including the Silangan project in Surigao del Norte, which is expected to begin commercial operations in early 2026; the King-king project in Davao de Oro, which has moved into the definitive feasibility study stage; and the Tampakan project in South Cotabato, regarded as one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits.

During a panel discussion on mining investments, Grepo said geopolitical tensions have shifted investor priorities from simply finding the cheapest mineral supply toward securing reliable and diversified sources.

The Philippine booth, organized by the Board of Investments and PTIC-Singapore, drew a steady stream of investor inquiries throughout the two-day Mining Asia Conference, reflecting growing interest in opportunities across the country’s minerals sector. PHOTO FROM DTI

“Geopolitics has made mineral supply less about lowest cost and more about security of supply,” she said.

“Buyers and investors are not only looking for another source of ore. They want a reliable partner, clearer rules, traceability, and confidence that projects can move. That is where the Philippines has to compete,” she added.

Asked about the country’s preferred investment partners, Grepo said the government is looking beyond financial investors.

“The best partners are not only financial investors. We are looking for companies that can bring technology, processing capability, market access, and long-term discipline around environmental and community obligations,” she said.

PTIC-Singapore Commercial Counsellor Grepo joins the panel “Money Drives Minerals,” where she observed that geopolitics has made mineral supply less about lowest cost and more about security of supply — a shift she said works in the Philippines’ favor. PHOTO FROM DTI

BOI Acting Director Francis M. Peñaflor said critical minerals and other “green metals” have been identified as national priority sectors because of their importance to industries such as renewable energy, batteries, semiconductors, electronics, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.

“We are placing particular emphasis on this sector because of its strong linkages to the country’s broader industrial development objectives,” Peñaflor said. “Critical minerals serve as essential inputs to a wide range of strategic industries, including renewable energy, electric vehicle components and batteries, semiconductors and electronics, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing.”

According to the DTI, the government is promoting investments through its Green Lane for Strategic Investments, which expedites permits and regulatory approvals for priority projects. Qualified mining ventures may also avail themselves of income tax holidays, enhanced deductions, and exemptions from duties and value-added tax on imported capital equipment. Strategic projects involving at least ₱50 billion in investments or creating 10,000 direct jobs may qualify for income tax-based incentives of up to 40 years.

The DTI said the Philippines remains among the world’s most mineral-rich countries, ranking in the global top five for nickel, copper, and cobalt reserves. It was the world’s second-largest producer of mined nickel in 2024, accounting for an estimated 9% to 10% of global output, while metallic mineral production in the first half of 2025 increased by about 22% from a year earlier, driven largely by higher gold prices.