Background

The Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) was formally created in 2013 by Executive Order No. 147 (EO 147), pursuant to Executive Order No. 79, s. 2012 (EO 79), where the Philippine government committed to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) – the global standard for the open and good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources. The PH-EITI is governed by the Multi-stakeholder Group (MSG)[1] that is chaired by the Department of Finance (DOF), and composed of representatives from government, industry, and civil society. The MSG oversees and sets the direction of the implementation of the EITI process, which flagship product is an annual, comprehensive country report (Country Report) containing information about the Philippine extractives sector as well as independently reconciled data on company payments to the government, and government revenues from the extraction of the country’s natural resources.

In 2017, after a rigorous international Validation, the Philippines was declared by the EITI Board as the first among more than 50 countries implementing EITI worldwide to have achieved “satisfactory progress” in complying with the EITI Standard. Eight years into its implementation, and currently undergoing its second Validation process, the PH-EITI steers within and through the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst these environment, PH-EITI is geared towards facilitating the implementation of innovative, systematic and transparent data management and reporting systems in most, if not all constituencies accountable for a transparent governance of extractives and natural resources. 

To date, the PH-EITI has produced six Country Reports, with the publication of a Seventh PH-EITI Report already underway. The 7^th Report comprises data disclosed by 41 metallic mines, 29 nonmetallic mines, 3 oil and gas companies, 8 national agencies, and 116 local government units, covering PHP 62.4 billion in revenues for fiscal year 2019. Provisionally entitled, “Resiliency in Transparency: The Seventh PH-EITI Report”, the 7^th Report is aimed at informing stakeholders of the value of extractives transparency and accountability in pursuing inclusive and resilient economic growth and national development. The Report records the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining, oil, gas, and coal industries, the consequent outlook for the sector, the sector’s response to the global health situation, and an assessment of the SDMP as a local development mechanism.

National Conference 2021

To communicate the foregoing to a wide multi-sectoral audience, the 7th Report will be launched at the PH-EITI National Conference 2021 on 29 July 2021. The program will include a presentation of the key findings of the 7^th Report, the outlook for the sector, a report on SDMP, and the launch of the EITI Mainstreaming[2] Action Plan, among other presentations. The event will be capped by the Transparency Awards, PH-EITI’s annual award-giving ceremony to recognize outstanding performance and achievement in the implementation of EITI and promotion of extractives transparency as a whole. The National Conference will also serve as the kick-off activity for the Online Learning on Extractives (On Learn) 2021, the virtual edition of the annual PH-EITI LGU Roadshow.

With the theme “Resiliency in Transparency”, the National Conference will bring together stakeholders from national and local governments, extractive companies, civil society, the academe, development partners, academia, and the media. The program will provide updates on government actions to address issues and concerns raised by stakeholders in previous stakeholder engagement activities.

Objectives

At the end of the Conference, the participants should have:

1. Been informed of relevant and useful data and information on mining, oil, gas, and coal, industries, including ongoing and planned initiatives to address issues and concerns in the sector;
2. Provided feedback or articulated ideas and questions in response to the key findings of the Country Report, and the presentations of the MSG and updates of EITI implementing agencies;
3. Raised recommendations and suggestions to improve EITI data management and analyses, making EITI reporting more relevant and useful for various stakeholders.

Participants

The target participants include representatives from the following:

• National government agencies:
• Department of Finance
• Bureau of Local Government Finance
• Bureau of Internal Revenue
• Bureau of Customs
• Bureau of Treasury
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• Mines and Geosciences Bureau
• Environmental Management Bureau
• Department of Energy
• Energy Resource Development Bureau
• Department of Interior and Local Government
• Department of Budget and Management
• Department of Information and Communications Technology
• National Economic Development Authority
• Mining Industry Coordinating Council
• National Commission on Indigenous Peoples
• National Privacy Commission
• Commission on Audit
• Philippine Ports Authority
• Philippine Statistics Authority
• Extractive Companies
• Metallic
• Non-metallic
• Oil and Gas
• Local government (with extractive activities)
• Civil society organizations
• Indigenous Peoples (from areas with extractive activities)
• Senate and House of Representatives
• Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO)
• Senate Tax Study and Research Office (STSRO)
• Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD)
• Manila-based universities
• Development partners
• Media partners

The MSG is composed of representatives from the government, the Department of Finance (DOF), who Chairs PH-EITI, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP). The extractive industries are represented by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP), and the Petroleum Association of the Philippines (PAP). The civil society is mainly represented by Bantay Kita – Publish What You Pay Philippines, a coalition of civil society organizations advocating transparency and accountability. 

Mainstreaming or systematic disclosure is the desired end-state of EITI implementation where EITI data are readily and publicly accessible through government and corporate websites and portals, enabling timely and comprehensive disclosure of information for public analyses.