PRESS RELEASE
WDC-4-2026
06 February 2026
Embassy Press and Information Section
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Raphael P.M. Lotilla signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and the United States to cooperate on diversifying global critical mineral supply chains and promote investments during the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 04 February 2026 at Washington D.C.
The MOU provides a framework to support stable and resilient supply and value chains in critical minerals and rare earths in both countries. It affirms sustainable and responsible resource management, promotes fair markets, and supports local capacity building and domestic value addition and processing, among other objectives.
According to Secretary Lotilla, “The MOU underlines the need for financing and technical knowhow to ensure environmental sustainability and the responsible mining of the Philippines’ critical minerals and rare earths—including their mapping and survey, and research and innovation in mining, processing, refining and recycling of the same.”
The Philippines was among 11 countries that signed a MOU on critical minerals with the U.S. which included Argentina, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Guinea, Morocco, Paraguay, Peru, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan. The U.S. State Department said that the U.S. “has signed ten other critical mineral frameworks or MOUs in the past five months and reached completion of negotiations on such agreements with seventeen other countries.”
Secretary Lotilla along with foreign ministers and other high-level delegates from more than 50 nations attended the historic meeting to advance collective efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains. The meeting intends “to create momentum for collaboration to secure these critical components vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security.”
Secretary Lotilla was joined by DTI Undersecretary on Industry Development and Trade Policy Group (IDTPG) Vice-Chairman and Managing Head of the Board of Investments in the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting.
DTI Secretary Christina A. Roque stated, ”the MOU is part of our close collaboration with DENR to develop processing and value-adding capacity for our minerals. We are employing a whole of government approach to attract investments in strategic priority areas.”
Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said that, “the Philippines welcomes the signing of the MOU as a significant step towards deepening bilateral cooperation on critical minerals that will benefit the local economy, enhance our competitiveness, upscale our industry, and align our economy to global standards as the country assumes a greater role in the global supply and value chain.”
Even as the US continues to recalibrate its economic priorities and identify strategic partners in line with economic, trade and investment policies that align with its security priorities and its allies, the Philippines continues to be recognized as a long-standing ally and partner in the region, and is continually engaging the US government and different economic sectors to seek collaborative partnerships and identify strategic positions and growth areas for the the benefit of both countries.
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