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Back to headlinesAugust 23, 2026, 1:00 PM PHT

Economy · Industry

Marcos Establishes National Critical Minerals Framework Under EO 122

The new policy seeks to move more Philippine mineral value into domestic processing and manufacturing while tightening coordination, environmental safeguards and permit accountability.

By FMB News DeskPublished August 23, 2026, 1:00 PM PHT2 min read
FMB News editorial visual for Philippine critical minerals policyFMB News editorial visual
FMB News editorial visual accompanying the report on Executive Order No. 122 and the critical minerals framework.FMB News editorial visualLicense details

Why this matters to Filipinos

FMB News connects the verified facts and evidence in this report to the decisions, costs, opportunities, and risks that may affect Filipinos, Philippine communities, and the country.

Editorial standard: Sources are listed below. Verified reporting, attributed claims, uncertainty, and analysis remain distinct.

Verified facts

What happened

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order No. 122 establishing a unified national policy framework for the development of the Philippines' critical minerals sector.

The framework prioritizes exploration, responsible development, domestic processing and downstream manufacturing for minerals important to clean energy, batteries, electronics, digital infrastructure and national security.

Context

Context

The policy covers strategically important resources including nickel, copper, cobalt and chromite. It directs government agencies to improve coordination and support more value-added activity inside the Philippines rather than relying primarily on raw mineral exports.

The order also strengthens sustainable-mining requirements, community protections and accountability for dormant or non-compliant mining tenements. Investment incentives for qualified value-added activities remain governed by applicable investment and tax laws.

Filipino relevance

Why this matters

The Philippines is a major mineral producer but captures less economic value when ores leave the country before refining or manufacturing. Building domestic processing capacity could deepen local supply chains and employment, but it also raises infrastructure, energy, environmental and community-governance requirements.

What to watch next

What to watch next

Implementation details from DENR, MGB, DTI, BOI and the reorganized Mining Industry Coordinating Council will determine which projects qualify, how permits are streamlined and how environmental and community safeguards are enforced.

Sources and public record

Executive Order No. 122 / government policy reporting: National critical minerals policy framework (August 21, 2026, 12:00 AM PHT)FMB News approved newsroom brief: Marcos EO on Critical Minerals (August 23, 2026, 1:50 PM PHT)