Stakeholders including the Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) and the Department of Finance (DOF) have voiced strong optimism over the transformative economic promise of Executive Order (EO) 122, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to establish a national framework for critical minerals.
The order strengthens and reorganizes the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), expanding its membership to include cabinet members, local government and indigenous representatives, and mandates a comprehensive 90-day work plan to set global standards, environmental safeguards and fair valuation. It designates all critical mineral projects as national priorities, streamlines permitting via a one-stop digital system, and emphasizes long-term policy stability and transparency.
PNIA hailed the measure as a pivotal, forward-looking step that elevates minerals from mere commodities to strategic national assets driving industrialization, energy security and clean energy transition. It aligns with the group’s longstanding reform goals, builds investor confidence, and positions the Philippines to compete in the fast-growing global critical minerals market.
Finance Secretary Frederick Go noted EO 122 will move the country beyond raw material exports into high-value processing, manufacturing and related sectors—creating jobs, attracting investment and spurring supporting industries such as energy, logistics and recycling. Strict tenement rules and asset privatization are also included to maximize resource value.
With the Philippines ranking among the world’s top nickel producers and holding rich deposits of copper, cobalt and other key minerals, stakeholders see the order as a landmark opportunity to turn national resources into lasting, inclusive economic growth.
