Israel taps Phl for critical ore exploration

Leveraging the country’s abundant critical minerals, namely nickel, copper and cobalt, the Israeli government is tapping the Philippines for a strategic cooperation on critical minerals processing and the artificial intelligence technology ecosystem, in connection with the United States-led Pax Silica initiative and critical minerals frameworks.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BoI) managing head, Dr. Ceferino Rodolfo, on Sunday, said he met with Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director General Eden Bar Tal on 1 May to discuss Philippines-Israel strategic cooperation on critical minerals processing and AI technology ecosystem.

He said they explored a possible bilateral memorandum of understanding on critical minerals cooperation, including mineral processing, research and development, and ways to leverage the Philippines’ semiconductor and microchip manufacturing sector to support AI development, highlighting the strong complementarity between Philippine mineral resources and skilled workforce and Israeli technology and innovation.

“Our strategic goal has been to add more value to our green metal exports — for example, nickel (which also comes with cobalt) and copper (which comes with gold), as we have historically exported these minerals in largely unprocessed form. These are called green metals for two reasons: the manner by which they are extracted and processed conforms with global sustainability standards (e.g., on impact to the environment and upholding labor rights); and they play a crucial role in enabling a shift to new energy solutions (e.g. they are key materials for batteries, for energy storage systems, for electric vehicles),” Rodolfo told reporters.

Further, he said, what access to the latest AI technology does for the Philippines, especially to tech relevant to the manufacture of key components of computer hardware infrastructure, is an opportunity for us to elevate our ambition for the country’s green metals.

“We can now aspire towards local value-addition for our green ‘tech-metals.’ In this context, partnership with Israel is critical as they are a recognized global leader in two key technologies: water system management for industrial tech applications and innovations in AI computer hardware manufacturing,” according to Rodolfo.

The meeting follows the Philippines’ recent accession to the Pax Silica alliance and the announcement of a partnership with the United States to establish a 4,000-acre AI-native industrial acceleration hub in Luzon.

The Philippines is a global mining hotspot with over $1 trillion in untapped mineral resources, holding substantial deposits of critical minerals essential for the green energy transition, including nickel, copper and cobalt.

Critical minerals are essential to the semiconductor supply chain, providing the raw materials needed for microchips, advanced processors, and other hardware that power AI systems.

As a top-five global producer of nickel and a key producer of copper, the Philippines is strategically positioned to supply the global demand for electronics, batteries, and electric vehicles.

Director general Bar Tal chairs Israel’s governmental steering committee tasked with developing the country’s national strategy on critical minerals.

Both sides discussed how Israel’s advanced mining, water, and environmental technologies can help strengthen the Philippines’ processing and refining of key minerals such as nickel, copper, and cobalt, helping the country move up the value chain and build higher-value industries and products.

Undersecretary Rodolfo is in the region to participate in an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development critical minerals forum and visit countries in the Pax Silica alliance.

While in Israel, he is also scheduled to meet officials from Israel’s Trade Ministry, the Israel National AI Directorate, the Israel Innovation Authority, and key partners in Israel’s trade and high-tech sectors.