The Philippines and Israel are pursuing strategic cooperation on critical minerals processing and AI ecosystems, tied to the Pax Silica initiative and related frameworks.

Israel’s strengths in water-system management for industrial tech and its innovative AI hardware manufacturing were highlighted as complementary to the Philippines’ AI and green metals goals.

Rodolfo stressed adding value to green metal exports—nickel, copper, and cobalt—to support sustainability standards and the green energy transition, given these metals’ role in batteries and energy storage.

The Philippines, a major nickel and copper producer with substantial untapped resources valued at over a trillion dollars, is positioned to meet rising global demand for electronics, batteries, and EVs.

BoI announced the development of a 1,618-hectare AI-native industrial hub within New Clark City in Tarlac to bolster the Philippines’ AI ecosystem and supply-chain integration.

Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo met Israeli MFA Director-General Eden Bar Tal on May 1 to discuss potential bilateral cooperation, including a memorandum of agreement on critical minerals and AI collaboration.

Rodolfo planned further engagements with Israeli officials from the Trade Ministry, the Israel National AI Directorate, and the Israel Innovation Authority, and would participate in the OECD’s critical minerals forum while continuing Pax Silica outreach.

The Philippine delegation, led by Rodolfo, visited Tel Aviv to meet Israeli officials including the MFA Director-General as part of expanding bilateral cooperation.