PHILIPPINES Law and Practice Contributed by: Patricia A O Bunye and Rafael Raymundo A Evangelista, Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia
essential for the global energy transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy sources and storage. The global trend towards a low-carbon economy has made minerals like copper, nickel and gold essential, and the Philippines is strategically positioned, with its abundant resources, to benefit from this. However, the positive outlook may be tempered by domestic chal - lenges, such as regulatory inconsistencies between the national agencies and local government units and lengthy and fragmented permitting processes. Fur - ther, stricter attention to compliance with sustainabil - ity requirements may also put additional pressure on mining firms. The current administration has also reinforced its pro- mining position, viewing responsible mining as pivotal to the nation’s continued economic development. This stance was further reinforced by the enactment of the Enhanced Mining Fiscal Regime Law, the economic contribution of which is expected to become more evident in the succeeding years.
Earlier expectations of an increase in metallic pro - duction will take a step back, as the Tampakan Mine operated by Sagittarius Mines now targets commer - cial operations around 2028, two years later than the initial 2026 target. The Tampakan Mine is a major cop - per-gold project and is considered to be the largest undeveloped deposit in South-East Asia. On the other hand, Philex Mining infused additional capital to develop its Silangan copper and gold pro - ject. According to recent updates, the Silangan Mine is on track to start commercial operations by the first quarter of 2026. Overall, the Philippine mining sector is expected to experience steady yet constrained growth over the next two years, with the industry’s trajectory remain - ing heavily dependent on global commodity markets, domestic regulatory conditions and local government involvement. Community engagement and transpar - ency compliance remains a work in progress, although significant improvements have already been observed.
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