MINING in a small-scale form has existed in the Philippines for thousands of years, and gold was an important commodity for the native inhabitants in pre-Spanish times. Tribes in the Philippines traded with what is now China, India, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

It was not until 1864, however, that the first true large-scale mine, the gold and copper Lepanto Mine, was opened in the Philippines. A century and a half later, mining has become a key economic sector for the country. Here are some figures compiled from Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) data that provide a snapshot of the industry as of the end of 2018: