This initiative focuses not only on commodity trade but also on building stronger industrial value chains as highlighted at a high-level business roundtable in Cebu, Philippines.
The forum coincided with the official visit of President Prabowo Subianto to the Philippines for the 48th ASEAN Summit where business leaders from both nations discussed geoeconomic realities.
"In line with this year's ASEAN-Philippines theme, 'Navigating Our Future, Together,' the Kadin Indonesia-PCCI high-level forum has laid out a roadmap not only for bilateral cooperation but also for making the ASEAN region better prepared to face current geoeconomic realities," said Bernardino Moningka Vega, deputy chairman for foreign relations of Kadin Indonesia.
Under the MoU signed by the Indonesian Nickel Miners Association and the Philippine Nickel Industry Association, the collaboration includes the exchange of nickel data and information, policy and regulatory dialogue, cross-border investment promotion, development of ESG methodologies and human resource capacity building in the nickel sector.
By 2025 Indonesia is projected to produce approximately 2.6 million metric tons of nickel while the Philippines will produce approximately 270,000 metric tons.
According to 2025 US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the two countries together will contribute approximately 73.6 percent of global nickel mining production.
In terms of reserves Indonesia is estimated to have approximately 62 million metric tons of nickel while the Philippines has approximately 4.8 million metric tons.
For Indonesia this collaboration is seen as strengthening the security of raw material supplies for the growing nickel downstream industry of the country.
Meanwhile for the Philippines the collaboration opens up opportunities to increase industrial value-added through regional processing and investment.
The forum also produced agreements regarding agricultural technology and aviation cooperation between Garuda Maintenance Facility and JAR Aviation Services with an indicative value of US$80 million.
Furthermore plans were announced to build a nickel processing facility in the Philippines involving Agro Investama Group, RBN Solutions Inc. and Ploutus Inc. to support the battery and electric vehicle supply chain.
The project includes a minimum monthly nickel supply of 200,000 metric tons starting in June 2026 to bolster regional manufacturing.
PCCI President Ferdinand Ferrer added that this collaboration is the first step towards building a more integrated relationship between both nations in the critical minerals industry.
"ASEAN is strongest when it acts as one unit. And at the heart of this unity is the very strong bilateral relationship between Indonesia and the Philippines, with a combined population of nearly 400 million," Ferrer concluded.
Related news: Indonesia and Philippines launch massive "Nickel Corridor" deal
Related news: Indonesia, Philippines have no nickel G2G cooperation: minister
Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar Fauzan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Arie Novarina
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
