President Marcos secures Canadian investments, expands PH-Canada energy partnership

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. secured new Canadian investments and strengthened bilateral cooperation on mining, critical minerals, and clean energy during his official visit to Vancouver.

The visit comes as the Philippines is positioning itself as a key supplier of minerals essential to the global energy transition.

Marcos also met with executives of Canadian mining firm B2Gold Corporation and Filminera Resources Corporation, who discussed $14 million in planned investments for the expansion of a solar power facility and continued exploration at the Masbate Gold Project.

During the meeting, B2Gold also presented the President with a letter expressing its commitment to provide technical and exploration expertise aimed at identifying opportunities to extend the operational life of the Masbate mine.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the Masbate Gold Project contributed more than P10 billion in taxes to national and local governments in 2025.

The project has also helped transform the municipality of Aroroy from a fourth-class municipality into a first-class municipality while supporting infrastructure development, scholarship initiatives, and skills training programs for local residents.

The Philippines and Canada also formalized a Joint Declaration on Energy and Natural Resources Cooperation, which aims to enhance energy security and strengthen resilient supply chains between the two countries.

The declaration was signed after a high-level dialogue led by Marcos and attended by government officials and business leaders from both nations.

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the discussions centered on mining, critical minerals, energy collaboration, and initiatives to establish the Philippines as a sustainable and socially responsible hub for mineral processing.

The government is seeking to leverage the country's vast nickel and copper reserves to attract Canadian investments in mineral processing, environmentally sustainable mining technologies, and renewable energy projects.

The initiative likewise aims to institutionalize stronger corporate social responsibility programs to ensure that communities hosting mining operations benefit directly from resource development.

Malacañang said rising global demand for critical minerals presents significant opportunities for the Philippines as countries accelerate the transition to cleaner energy and adopt more advanced digital technologies.

Nickel, copper, and other critical minerals are essential components in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems, semiconductors, energy storage technologies, and advanced electronic devices.

Marcos is in Canada on an official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney, marking the first visit by a Philippine president to the country in a decade.