The Philippines and the United States can collaborate for the production of electronic vehicle batteries to meet the huge demand of the American market, US Senator Tammy Duckworth said on Tuesday.

Duckworth, who met President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during a courtesy call in Malacañan Palace, also shared her conversation with Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla about the United States’ transition to renewable energy sources as well as its current challenges.

“So, for example, we’ve discussed at length about electronic vehicle batteries and we can’t get enough of them to meet the American market. And I can’t think of a better place to create a new manufacturing ecosystem for the American market than here in the Philippines where we can work together to supply that market so that we can continue to make our switch to renewables as well. And there are many other places where we can work together,” Duckworth told President Marcos.

The President replied that with the renewable energy sources such as solar and wind that rely on nature and are not constant, this is where batteries become very important.

He said the Philippines has great potential for battery manufacturing considering the presence of mineral deposits that are necessary elements for battery production.

“We have nickel, we have bauxite, we have cobalt. And so, the idea of manufacturing….has shown more and more potential, the more we study it,” Marcos told the American legislator.

The President also delved on the long-standing ties between the Philippines and the US and the need to strengthen further the relationship.

“I think we must continue to promote and to hopefully make even stronger and deeper and especially with the volatility that we are observing in geopolitics, especially in our region, but not limited to our region but all over the world, is something that we need to find new responses for and to take new positions for,” he said.