Phl mining sector pushes for more investments at NY forum

MANILA, Philippines - A well-attended forum on the Philippine Mining Industry took place last week at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York City.

Dubbed “Philippines Investor Outlook: The Mining Industry”, the event was organized by the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce in New York (PACC-NY) with the support of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-NY (PTIC-NY), Murdoch Capital, and the US-Philippines Society.

The series is part of the efforts of the PACC-NY, in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General and the PTIC, to highlight developments and investment opportunities in selected Philippine industries.

For the focus on the Mining Industry, Philippine Chamber of Mines president Philip Benjamin Romualdez delivered the keynote and discussed the latest developments in the mining industry including the implications of Executive Order 79 issued by President Aquino.

Joining Romualdez who is also the president and CEO of Benguet Corp., were Mike Toledo, senior vice president (SVP) for corporate affairs of Philex Mining; Renato Claravall, chief finance officer (CFO) of Benguet Corp.; and Manny Samson, CFO of Nickel Asia Corp. All the representatives of these top Philippine mining companies provided presentations on the latest projects of their respective corporations.

Likewise present at the forum was Hank Hendriksen, executive director of the US-Philippines Society, who talked about the role of the newly-formed society in further raising the profile of the Philippines in different sectors in the United States. He was joined by Angelito Nayan of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Melchor Guerrero of CC Global Advisors, a consulting firm, did a presentation on the consider investment opportunites in the Philippines given the stable economic climate and the successive periods of overall growth.

The consulate was represented by Deputy Consul General Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Trade Representative Michelle Fatima Sanchez. Rene Meilly, PACC president, along with other PACC members, was on hand to discuss investment opportunities with guests.