September 12, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The worth of metallic minerals produced within the Philippines rose by just a little over a tenth within the first half of 2025, pushed largely by increased costs of gold and silver, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau stated.
The MGB, an hooked up company of the Division of Atmosphere and Pure Sources (DENR), stated the sector’s complete worth reached $2.48 billion, up from $2.16 billion in the identical interval final yr, marking a 15.1 p.c improve.
“The sturdy efficiency of the metallic mineral sector within the first half of 2025 was largely supported by gold and silver costs,” MGB stated.
It stated gold persistently traded above $3,000 per troy ounce, peaking at $3,354.35 in June 2025, whereas silver reached its highest value in the identical month at $35.86 per troy ounce.
Copper additionally confirmed power, rising by 6.6 p.c to a median of $4.28 per pound by mid-2025, whereas nickel fell to a median of $6.98 per pound throughout the identical time-frame.
The resilience of gold, silver and copper costs was attributed to tariff uncertainties, persistent geopolitical tensions, rising central financial institution gold accumulation and their enduring function as safe-haven belongings.
In distinction, nickel costs weakened, reflecting market oversupply circumstances alongside much less demand from main end-users, the bureau stated.
The sturdy efficiency of the metallic sector comes as the federal government prepares to judge practically 20 potential mineral areas by 2026, a transfer anticipated to additional enhance the nation’s $3.3-billion mining trade.
These embrace 14 new mineral reservation areas and three areas for offshore important and strategic minerals in Palawan, Camarines Norte, and Southwest Samar.
DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones informed a Senate listening to that the native mining sector presently covers solely 2.63 p.c of the Philippine land space, with 790,592 hectares underneath permitted mining tenements.
He stated this means {that a} huge portion of the nation’s mineral-rich lands stays untapped, leaving room for brand new exploration and growth that would additional enhance financial positive aspects if managed responsibly.
The Philippines is wealthy in each metallic and non-metallic minerals, with key assets together with nickel, gold, copper, chromite and iron, alongside industrial minerals akin to limestone, marble, and silica.
Earlier this week, DENR Assistant Secretary for Coverage, Planning, Worldwide Affairs and Local weather Change Noralene Uy stated the division is drafting a complete coverage on nature-based options (NBS), which can embrace incentives for personal companies in sectors akin to agriculture and mining to undertake greener practices.
“The objective is to give you a devoted, complete and coherent nationwide coverage on nature-based options by way of a draft division administrative order that may empower authorities and communities and our companions,” Uy stated at a multi-stakeholder discussion board organized with the Forest Basis Philippines and the Canadian embassy.