Ferro-alloys.com:Cabinet officials said on Tuesday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the cessation of all mining activities on an island in the southern province, which is home to some nickel projects in the country.

Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nogras said at a press conference that Duterte was "very worried" about reports that mining activities "completely destroyed" Tubagan Island in Langyan, Tawi-Tawi Province.

He said: "Currently, the island has been mined. While the restoration efforts are underway, the President is issuing an order to stop any and all mining activities."

Nogras said Duterte also instructed the authorities to speed up the island’s revival by planting more trees.

The Philippine Bureau of Mines and Geosciences does not closely monitor Tawi-Tawi mining operations because the province is located within the autonomous region.

Duterte’s order does not cover the country’s nickel mining center in the Caraga region.

SR Languyan Mining Corp, one of the miners operating in Tawi-Tawi, stated in 2019 that the island’s deposits are considered high-grade materials and have been nearly exhausted after years of continuous ore mining.

Since Indonesia banned the export of unprocessed minerals in January last year, the Philippines has become the largest metal consumer and China’s largest supplier of nickel ore.

Low-grade materials from Southeast Asian countries are used to produce nickel pig iron, which is the main component of stainless steel.

Since he served as the power in 2016, Duterte has repeatedly threatened to shut down the country's mining industry and cursed miners for destroying the environment.

Source： Mining Weekly

• [Editor:zhaozihao]