Of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares, about 9 million ha have been identified as having “high mineral potential,” according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
As of November 2014, the agency estimated that 2.9 percent of the Philippines’ total land area, or 870,000 ha, was covered by mining tenements.
As of May 16, the country has 44 operating metallic mines—27 nickel mines, one copper mine with gold as coproduct, two copper mines with gold and silver as coproducts, six gold mines with silver as coproduct, three chromite mines and five iron mines, according to the MGB.
In 2014, the country’s total metallic mineral production was worth P138.6 billion, up from P99.3 billion in 2013. Gold production for 2014 alone was valued at P33 billion.
Nickel mines are found in Zambales, Palawan, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur provinces, while the gold with silver mines are in Benguet, Masbate, Camarines Norte, Compostela Valley, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Norte provinces.
The copper with gold mines are located in Nueva Vizcaya and Eastern Samar provinces. The copper with gold and silver mines are in Benguet and Cebu provinces, while the chromite mines are in Surigao del Norte and Eastern Samar provinces. The iron mines are in Leyte, Camarines Sur and Zamboanga provinces.
Mining contributed 0.6 percent (P76.3 billion) to the country’s gross domestic product 2015, according to MGB data.
Investments in mining in 2015 amounted to $924.94 million, 22.5 percent lower, compared to the total mining investment of $1.193 billion recorded in 2014.
The industry employs some 235,000 people, according to data from the MGB.
The Environmental Management Bureau estimated there were 300,000 small-scale miners in the country as of December 2011. Inquirer Research
Sources: Mines and Geosciences Bureau website, Inquirer archives