BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Northern Luzon leg of the 2024 Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PH-EITI) Regional Roadshow recently concluded, focusing on the theme “Bridging Transparency: Empowering Local Voices in Natural Resource Governance.” This event marked a significant return to face-to-face engagement, bringing together stakeholders from civil society, the mining industry, and government across Regions I, II, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) to enhance transparency and accountability in the management of oil, gas, and mining resources.
In the photo: PH-EITI Regional Roadshow 2024 held at Lafayette Luxury Suites Baguio.
The event kicked off on August 14 with a roundtable discussion at the Lafayette Luxury Suites in Baguio City, delving into the subnational implementation of EITI in the Philippines. Discussions centered on empowering local governance structures, involving local governments and indigenous communities in managing and reporting on the extractive industries. This set the tone for further detailed deliberations on various aspects of extractive sector governance.
The momentum continued on the second day, August 15, with a focus on utilizing PH-EITI data to foster better governance. Insights into how this data can be accessed and used were shared, highlighting its importance to the academic community. Discussions also explored the Social Development and Management Program (SDMP), emphasizing its role in community development through allocations for education, health, and livelihood. The utilization of local government shares from extractive revenues was also examined, alongside strategic discussions on the IP wealth framework, ensuring equitable benefits for indigenous communities from the resources on their ancestral lands.
An active participant from the 2024 Regional Roadshow inquired about the data prepared by the PH-EITI Secretariat during the event.
Participants engaged in breakout sessions to address critical areas such as the sustainability of mining impacts, participatory governance, climate action, and gender mainstreaming in the extractive sector. These discussions were not only geared towards understanding the challenges but also focused on crafting actionable recommendations to enhance governance frameworks.
In the left photo, PH-EITI and delegates from the UPPAF - Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) visited the BenguetCorp mining site in Itogon, Benguet. While in the right photo, they are joined by representatives from Philex Mining Corporation for a mine tour in Tuba, Benguet.
On August 16, PH-EITI, joined by the USAID UPPAF Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND), visited Philex Mining Corporation and Benguet Corp. in Tuba and Itogon, Benguet, respectively, to gain an on-ground perspective of mining operations. These visits facilitated direct consultations with stakeholders from the mining host communities, discussing how PH-EITI data can influence policymaking and addressing local concerns about mining operations. Discussions also emphasized the benefits and challenges faced by the communities, particularly in relation to corporate social responsibilities and the impacts of mining activities.
The roadshow underscored the critical role of collaboration among stakeholders to ensure that the governance of extractive industries is transparent and yields tangible benefits for local communities. The insights and contributions from this event are invaluable as stakeholders continue to strive for a more transparent, accountable, and sustainable extractive sector in the Philippines.
A government-led, multi-stakeholder initiative implementing EITI, the global standard that promotes the open, accountable management, and good governance of oil, gas, and mineral resources. PH-EITI was created on 26 November 2013 through EO No. 147, s. of 2013. It is a government commitment first announced through EO No. 79, s. of 2012.