The Board of Investments (BOI) held talks with Canadian officials and industry leaders at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2025, seeking to boost trade and explore innovation partnerships in critical minerals, the BOI said.
The Philippine delegation, led by BOI officials Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa and Lanie Dormiendo, met with Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng on March 3, 2025 to discuss opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade, the BOI said in a statement.
Ng noted the potential for increased trade as Canada pursues a diversification strategy, aiming for a 50-percent rise in exports to new markets. The talks also covered collaboration in critical minerals production and processing, ahead of planned free trade agreement negotiations.
The BOI delegation also engaged with Sudbury’s mayor and economic development office, exploring how the Philippines could replicate Sudbury’s mining and mineral processing model.
Discussions with the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) focused on industrial collaboration, including support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the automotive, mobility, and mining sectors, as well as workforce development.
A roundtable on March 5, attended by about 40 government and private sector representatives, addressed the future of mining and mineral processing in the Philippines, the BOI said.
The delegation also visited a Canadian research and development facility specializing in metal refining technologies, which expressed interest in establishing operations in the Philippines.