Picture from the left: Sam Bartlett, EITI Technical Director, Elisea "Bebet" G. Gozum, Presidential Assistant for Climate Change and EITI National Coordinator, Clare Short, EITI Chair, Anne Jaladon-on Louis, Philippines Consul General Australia and Wouter Biesterbos, EITI Strategic Advisor.
The international EITI Board approved the Philippines’ application for EITI Candidate status at its meeting in Sydney on 22 May 2013.
The Philippines will now implement the EITI Standard, which will ensure more transparency of the payments to the government from the extractives sector in the country.
Present at the meeting, Elisea "Bebet" G. Gozun, Presidential Assistant for Climate Change and EITI national coordinator, said:
The PH-EITI Multistakeholder group would like to thank the EITI international Board for accepting us as a candidate country for EITI. This is a major step forward in our effort to improve transparency and accountability in the extractive industries in the Philippines. This is in line with our President's social contract with our people to promote good governance in order to fight corruption and to reduce poverty in our country.
The decision of the Board on the status of the Philippines in full:
The EITI Board admits the Philippines as an EITI Candidate country on 22 May 2013. In accordance with the EITI Rules, the Philippines is required to publish their first EITI Report within one year and six months of becoming a Candidate (by 22 November 2014) and to submit a final (MSG endorsed) Validation Report to the Board within two years and six months of becoming a Candidate (by 22 November 2015). Failure to meet either of these deadlines will result in delisting.
As an EITI Candidate country, the Philippines has to start disclosing payments from its extractives sector, and meet all the requirements in the EITI standard within 2.5 years to become EITI Compliant.
For further information about EITI in the Philippines, please contact Wouter Biesterbos at wbiesterbos@eiti.org.
