Vancouver: The Philippines and Canada have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Energy and Natural Resources, formalizing cooperation on critical minerals, responsible mining, clean energy, and environmental stewardship as global demand for mineral resources continues to grow. The agreement was signed by Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney witnessing the event.
According to Philippines News Agency, the declaration reaffirmed both countries' commitment to deeper collaboration on sustainable resource management, clean energy, and environmental stewardship. In an interview following the signing, Cuna highlighted the agreement's focus on natural resources, particularly critical minerals, where the Philippines has significant untapped potential. He noted the global demand for these minerals and acknowledged the vast deposits possibly present in the Philippines' 9 million hectares out of the total 30 million hectares.
Cuna emphasized the Philippines' long-standing cooperation with Canada due to its global reputation for responsible mining and advanced mining technologies. He expressed that the country could greatly benefit from Canada's expertise. The partnership aims to build on discussions from earlier this year during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto, where three key areas for cooperation were identified. These include developing a digital mining governance platform, strengthening mine waste and tailings management, and advancing critical mineral mapping using geoscience and artificial intelligence.
Following the conference, Cuna mentioned that the DENR's Mine and Geosciences Bureau has maintained communication with Canada, and the JDI signing provides a formal framework for future collaboration. He underscored Canada's advanced status in mining and expressed the Philippines' desire to learn from their experience, as they are regarded as one of the best in the world.
