BAGUIO CITY: The Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association (PMSEA) said that the bright prospects and positive outlook of the country’s mining industry remain because of the transition from the use of fossil fuel to renewable energy (RE).

Former Energy undersecretary Rufino Bomasang, a member of the PMSEA Board of Directors, said there is a snowballing demand for rare minerals needed in the shift to RE such as nickel, copper, cobalt, among others, which shows the direct relationship between energy and mining.

He claimed mining will remain robust because of the significant demand for the rare minerals produced in various parts of the country and that mining will also remain as one of the country’s major economic drivers in the future.

The PMSEA official pointed out that the energy transition will also contribute in effectively addressing climate change in most parts of the world because of the expected reduction in the use of fossil fuel which will contribute to improving the country’s state of environment.