Manila, Feb. 6 -- The Philippines, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States to support local processing of the country's critical minerals and rare earth sector.

In a news release Friday, the DENR said the agreement, signed by Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla and U.S. Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, supports the shift toward domestic mineral processing and value addition to strengthen the country's industrial base and integration into global supply chains.

The signing took place on Feb. 4 on the sidelines of the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial, hosted by the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. that bro...