On September 26-27, 2013, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Secretariat and the World Bank, with technical support from the Revenue Watch Institute, held the Conference on the Adoption of the 2013 EITI Standard at the Crowne Plaza, Manila.
Participated in by representatives from the government, civil society organizations, and the mining, oil and gas industries, the two-day event aimed to increase stakeholders’ understanding of the 2013 EITI Standard and help them define objectives for EITI Philippines.
“The Conference was seen to manifest the Philippines’ momentum in achieving global affirmation of its resolve to instill integrity and responsibility in the country’s extractive industries,” said Finance Undersecretary Jeremias N. Paul, Jr., who opened the program.
For the part of civil society, Professor Maria Aurora Teresita W. Tabada noted: “The government’s decision to sign on to the EITI has given rise to a special time in the nation’s history that will create an environment to empower communities to have access to reliable information.”
On the other hand, speaking on behalf of the industry, Mr. Gerard H. Brimo, President and CEO of Nickel Asia Corporation, pointed to the opportunity that the Initiative presents to open a space for industry and civil society groups to dialogue constructively and reach a common understanding of issues related to promoting responsible mining in the Philippines.
The Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global coalition of governments, companies and civil society working together to ensure transparency around countries oil, gas and mineral resources. It is overseen by a multi-stakeholder process involving government, civil society and industry representatives. This process is governed by rules set by the EITI Board in Oslo, Norway and supported by the World Bank through technical and financial assistance to implementing countries. Changes to the rules that govern the Initiative this year came with the approval of the 2013 EITI Standard which expanded the scope of reporting requirements for candidate countries. The Philippines became an EITI candidate country in May 2013.
