Project PAMANA and Project PROMT convened for the first time on 8th-11th of May 2023 in Quezon City, Philippines, with investigators, researchers, and consultants from the University of Glasgow, University of Leicester, DOST-PNRI, UP Los Baños, UP Diliman, British Geological Survey, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Exeter, University of Hull, and the University of Reading.

The mid-project meeting was facilitated by the UK PIs Prof Richard Williams and Prof Gawen Jenkin, with opening remarks from the DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit. The first three days consisted of presentations and discussions on the progress of the projects’ Work Packages and Science Areas. On the second day, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr made an impromptu visit and gave an inspirational message to the consortium. The third day included a Theory of Change training workshop facilitated by Prof Eric Jensen from the Institute of Methods Innovation.

The fourth and final day consisted of concurrent activities, highlighted by a Theory of Change workshop with partners from the government and the private sector including the British Embassy, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, DOST-PCIEERD, Geological Society of the Philippines, LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and Philex Mining Corporation. At the same time, early career researchers gathered for an informal networking session while co-investigators held a KPI discussion. The meeting concluded with a synthesis of potential synergies between the two projects.

The mid-project meeting is the first of many activities planned across the Sustainable Mineral Resources in the Philippines (SMRP) programme to enable opportunities for shared learning, showcase programme outputs, and to maximise the benefits and impacts from the two projects.

~Justine Domingo