THE PHILIPPINES is exploring partnerships with Israel on critical minerals and building artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystems, in a bid to deepen its role in the AI supply chain, the Board of Investments (BoI) said.
On May 1, Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo met with Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General Eden Bar Tal to discuss the possibility of strategic cooperation in critical minerals processing and AI technology.
Both countries explored a possible bilateral memorandum of agreement on critical minerals, including mineral processing, research and development, the BoI said in a statement late Saturday.
The Philippines and Israel are also looking at ways to leverage the Philippines’ semiconductor and microchip manufacturing industry to support AI development.
“Our strategic goal has been to add more value to our green metal exports, for example, nickel and cobalt,” Mr. Rodolfo told reporters via Viber on Sunday.
Mr. Rodolfo said Israel offers strengths in water system management for industrial tech applications, and innovative AI computer hardware manufacturing.
“What access to latest AI technology does for the Philippines, especially to tech which is relevant for the manufacture of key components of computer hardware infrastructure, is an opportunity for us to elevate or to add another layer to our ambition for our green metals,” he noted.
Mr. Rodolfo noted that green metals are extracted and processed following global sustainability standards, and are critical in the shift to renewable energy technologies like electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
The Israeli government noted how its mining, water, and environmental technologies could help the Philippines accelerate into high-value semiconductor manufacturing, the BoI said.
Mr. Rodolfo will participate in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development critical minerals forum and visit Pax Silica member countries to explore more minerals processing partnerships, it added.
The Philippines and Israel are part of the Pax Silica bloc, a US-led initiative meant to counter China’s growing tech manufacturing sector.
The BoI announced the development of a 1,618 hectare AI-native industrial hub within New Clark City in Tarlac to support the country’s bid to join the AI supply-chain ecosystem. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
