PRESS RELEASE: ​BK urges PH EITI multi-stakeholder group to keep their commitments towards resource management

On October 25, the Philippines hosted the 38th International Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board Meeting. The Philippines was commended by the EITI International Board for being the first country to achieve the satisfactory progress against the EITI Standard.
 
EITI is a global standard of governance for oil, gas, and mineral resources.
 
Bantay Kita (BK), a nationwide coalition of organizations that advocates for transparency and accountability in the extractive industry, lauds the Philippine EITI in its compliance to the Standard.
 
“We recognize all efforts and participation of the PH-EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group and Secretariat in pursuing improved natural resource governance. It has given access to data and documents that were previously unavailable to the public,” said Tina Pimentel, National Coordinator of Bantay Kita
 
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, as member of the PH-EITI Multi-Stakeholder Group also recognized the achievement: "EITI has opened an avenue for stakeholders to participate in policy proposals formulation and to keep track of government's progress in implementing reforms. However, the reconciliation and transparency initiative of EITI, as proven effective in improving government systems on extractive industries, should be institutionalized and supported by a concrete legal framework that Congress may enact the soonest possible."
 
BK  notes that advances in natural resource management rooted in the PH-EITI MSG recommendations have been made. This illustrates the PH-EITI’s significance in advancing improved governance in the extractive industry. However, BK acknowledges that more remains to be done for EITI to remain relevant.
 
Augusto Blanco, Tribal Leader of Kaimunan Lumad sang Compostela said, “EITI can also be a powerful venue for local development moving beyond revenue transparency. It can pursue enhanced environmental and social monitoring to provide a sound basis to discern the full impact of resource extraction.”
 
He also noted, “Subnational EITI MSGs can be a local platform for constructive engagement of concerned stakeholders (government, civil society, indigenous peoples, and industry) in resource management to ensure that it contributes to sustainable development. EITI also enhances further the empowerment of the indigenous people in the the exercise of their FPIC and sustainable management of their ancestral domains.”
 
BK urges all members of the PH-EITI MSG, which includes government, industry, and civil society representatives, to keep their commitments and continue forging forward towards improved resource management.