By Marcelle P. Villegas Highlighting the achievements and challenges in the field of geology, The Geological Society of the Philippines (GSP) presented the 2018 Annual Geological Convention (GeoCon) last December 11-12, 2018 at The Manila Hotel. GSP is a duly accredited integrated professional organization for geologists. The theme for this event is “B...

Considered to be Asia’s most prestigious mining investment awards and a highlight in the Asian mining calendar, the annual Mines and Money Outstanding Achievement Awards are where ‘the best of the best’ in the Asia Pacific region receive recognition for their achievements in the past year.Nominated by industry peers and chosen by an esteemed panel of judg...

By Marcelle P. Villegas Most of us have the impression that bamboo is only useful in building nipa huts or creating furniture. There is actually far more about this plant than most of us are aware of. Let’s begin as far back as the 1950s when bamboo technology was used in aviation. Do you know that a Filipino named Antonio De Leon designed two airplane...

UK mining Company Bezant has since the beginning of 2018 refocused towards the development of an international copper gold portfolio focused on the Mankayan project in Luzon. In this period Bezant with its partner and MPSA holder Crescent Mining and Development Corporation ( “Crescent”) has:Appointed a new Bezant management team led by Colin Bird and Laur...

By Marcelle P. Villegas On 7 May 2009, China submitted the Nine-dashed Lines Map to the United Nations. Their map gobbles up large areas of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. China’s Nine-Dashed Lines Map shows that China is claiming 85.7% of the entire Sou...

By Marcelle P. Villegas For the past centuries, the mining industry in the Philippines was greatly affected by the changes of government or colonisers, events around the world and more. It seems that whenever there is war, there is also a rise in the demand in certain mineral resources or a fall in the production rate of some minerals. August is His...

By Marcelle P. Villegas“Nickel is all around us. As popular myths and research continue fanning endless debates on mining, an unpopular truth remains, the Philippines holds a strong track record for safe, responsible and sustainable mining. These practices catapulted the country into the roster of top nickel exporters worldwide. “ (an excerpt from the vid...

By Marcelle P. VillegasMining Philippines 2018 International Conference and Exhibition was held last 18-20 September 2018 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila. It was a three-day event organised by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (CoMP) with the theme “Strategic Synergies: Communicating the Gains of Responsible Mining”. The mining summit aims to...

By Marcelle P. VillegasIn terms of taxes, fees and other charges of the Government to mining companies, how much are mining companies really contributing to the country? How much funds are mining companies giving to local communities through their social development programs? And moreover, at the present time, how may trees have mining companies planted o...

By Marcelle P. VillegasFilminera Resources Corp. is a company involved in mining and quarrying of gold, silver, nickel, copper and chromite. Masbate Gold Mine was acquired in an acquisition in January 2013. It was in April 2010 when exploration drilling began. The mine site is located in Aroroy, Masbate (Region V) which is around 350km south of Manila. Th...

By Marcelle P. VillegasThere are numerous entrepreneurs and environmentalists who have concluded from their research and studies that the bamboo is an excellent choice in a reforestation project. Last year, CTP Construction and Mining Corporation launched their Bamboo Plantation as part of their reforestation program.CTP Construction and Mining Corporatio...

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) is organizing the 1st Philippine Natural Resources Development Forum on April 26, 2019 at Marriott Hotel Manila with the theme “Harnessing Natural Resources for inclusiveness and Sustainable Development”.The mining industry in the Philippines is a major economic activity but remains operating belo...

Powering Future Energy SolutionsWitness the 2nd edition of the country’s most comprehensive energy trade event!The 3-day exhibition, RE EE Philippines 2019 will highlight ways and means to attain alternative energy advancements and productivity. Increase your audience reach as it brings together key players and top practitioners from the industry, while a...

THE EVENTThe Nickel Initiative 2019 is the premiere business event in the Philippines that tackles issues that cut across multiple industries involved in the nickel supply chain, its inter-relationships, and potential areas for collaboration.  Featured industries include companies involved in exploring, extracting, and processing nickel as well as busines...

By Patricia A. O. BunyeI have written frequently about the journey of our “Solar Lolas”, seven Aeta women who trained at the Barefoot College in Tilonia, India under the “Tanging Tanglaw: Turning IP Grandmothers into Solar Engineers” project of Diwata-Women in Resource Development, Inc. and its project partners, the Land Rover Club of the Philippines and ...

The Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power project (“Malampaya”) located in Northwest Palawan, employs deepwater technology to draw natural gas that fuels three gas-fired power plants and provides 30% of Luzon's power generation requirements. Operating under Service Contract (“SC”) No. 39, the project is a joint undertaking by the Department of Energy (“DOE”) a...

Whenever flowsheets are considered for treatment of silver ores, the conventional approach is in favor of a Merrill-Crowe processing circuit rather than CIL/CIP. This is understandable when the historical development of CIP is considered. What has been disregarded is the fact that for the last 30 years there have been ClP plants successfully treating ore ...

Hino Motors Philippines (HMP), exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses in the Philippines, shores up its Total Support initiative further, launching heavy-duty trucks and modern jeepneys that are also environment-friendly, expanding its range of vehicles, and training manpower and dealers, all to meet the logistics and transportation requirements o...

Nickel Asia Corporation - Hinatuan Mining Corporation (NAC-HMC), represented by ComRel Manager Antonio B. Resuera Jr., has turned over soft-shell crab project to three (3) indigent families of its host community last November 27, 2018. The project location is at Looc, Sitio Bagong Silang, Barangay Talavera, Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte. Beneficiaries of t...

By Patricia A. O. Bunye For the second year in a row, I had the privilege of participating in the Women in Mining Day at Mining Investment Asia, which was held on 26- 28 March 2018 in Singapore.This year, I moderated the panel which focused on what should be done to attract more women to mining as a genderless industry.The members of my panel were: (1) Ti...

As the largest consumer of metals, China dominates the global supply and demand of metals, and Asia is at the very centre of the debate on the future of the international mining industry.Urbanisation continues to increase across the continent, with new housing and increased wealth triggering higher consumption of copper and steel in particular. Asia is al...