The Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) recently hosted a five-day study visit of the Papua New Guinea Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNG-EITI) in Manila to promote peer learning and regional cooperation on transparency, accountability, and good governance in the extractive sector.

The activity was part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Project for Improving Resource-Related Revenue Management Phase 2, which supports Papua New Guinea’s ongoing efforts to enhance the credibility and systematization of its extractive data disclosure. Through this partnership, the Government of Papua New Guinea and JICA are working to strengthen the capacity of PNG-EITI and its partner agencies to address recommendations from the country’s 2022 EITI validation and to improve coordination among government reporting entities.

During the visit, the PNG-EITI delegation paid a courtesy call to Finance Undersecretary Karlo Fermin Adriano, PH-EITI Alternate Focal Person and Chair. Undersecretary Adriano discussed the recently enacted Mining Fiscal Regime Law and its role in promoting fiscal transparency and institutional accountability. He emphasized that a clear and transparent policy framework is essential to ensure that revenues from natural resources are efficiently managed and equitably distributed.

PH-EITI facilitated a series of technical exchanges focusing on data quality assurance, EITI reporting management, and systematic disclosure. The Secretariat presented its coordination mechanisms with government reporting entities and shared how EITI implementation is integrated into national processes through multi-stakeholder participation and policy alignment.

The delegation also met with the Commission on Audit (COA) and PH-EITI’s Independent Administrator to learn how audited financial statements and reconciliation procedures strengthen the credibility of EITI reports. Discussions highlighted how the Philippines harmonizes government audit processes with EITI requirements and upholds the integrity of financial data through verification and reconciliation.

At the Department of Energy’s Oil Industry Management Bureau, PNG-EITI learned about the management of license, production, and export data, and how these are systematically disclosed through PH-EITI’s transparency and contracts portals. PH-EITI also demonstrated the digital platforms that promote open and accessible extractive sector data for public use.

From the industry side, Prime Energy Resources Development B.V. shared its experience in EITI reporting and underscored the importance of accurate data submission, strong government-industry collaboration, and consistent compliance with transparency standards.

The study visit concluded with a meeting with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the EITI International Secretariat. The discussions explored intersections between open government, anti-corruption, and gender inclusion, as well as ADB’s ongoing initiatives on critical minerals value chains and civil society engagement in extractive governance.

The exchange reaffirmed the shared commitment of the Philippines and Papua New Guinea to advance transparency and inclusive governance in natural resource management. By sharing best practices and lessons learned, both countries demonstrated how collaboration among EITI-implementing nations contributes to more accountable and sustainable development across the region.