Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines
Minerals Characteristics
Quartz Occurs as major component of
plutonic igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic rocks, as
veins, sand deposits, and
siliceous clay
Nickel Found as sulfide and laterite
Minerals deposits commonly associated
with dunite, pyroxenite, and
gabbroic rocks.
Garnierite is a green nickel ore
found in pockets and veins in
weathered and serpentinized
ultramafic rocks.
Nickel is also found in
association with green
chromium, aluminum, lead,
cobalt, silver and gold.
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Locality Uses
-San Vicente, Dumaran, Primarily used in the manufacture of glass
Roxas and Rizal Palawan
-Lubang Island, Other uses:
Occidental Mindoro 1. Gemstone
-Tagkawayan, Quezon 2. Abrasive material for sand blasting and
-Siruma Peninsula, scouring cleansers
Camarines Sur 3. foundry work as grinding media and grit
for sanding and sawing
4. petroleum industry
5. flux in the smelting of metals and in the
manufacture of rubber, paint, and putty
6. filter media and roofing granules
7. filters, frequency controls and timers
8. component of cellular phones, watches,
clocks, game consoles, television sets,
computers, navigational instrument and
other similar products
9. lenses and windows in lasers for optical
grade quartz variety
Garnierite are found in: Garnierite Uses:
-as gemstone
-Sta. Cruz and Candelaria, -an important nickel ore.
Zambales
-Jaro, Leyte Nickel Uses:
-Nonoc Island, Surigao -is a component of many industrial and
City consumer products
-Taganaan (Hinatuan -stainless steel
Island), Surigao del Norte -kitchen and laboratory sinks
-Bataraza (Rio Tuba), -magnets
Palawan -batteries
-electric guitar strings
-microphone capsule
-plating material
 Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines

Mica Mica is a common rock- Quezon Province Muscovite Uses:

forming mineral. -electrical insulator in high temperature
power cables in aluminum plants
Muscovite, a white mica, is -blast furnace
found in abundance in granitic -defense systems
pegmatite. -boiler and flat iron

Mica Uses:
-capacitors
-diaphragms for oxygen breathing
equipment
-marker dials for navigation compasses
-optical filters
-pyrometers
-stove and kerosene-heater windows
-circuit breakers

Manganese Associated with submarine -Coron, Palawan Manganese Uses:

Minerals volcanic rocks, chert, and tuffs -Siquijor Island -hardening alloy for steel
-Jiabong, Samar -construction and transportation industries
-Ibajay, Aklan
-San Joaquin, Iloilo Steel Uses:
-Tawi-tawi, Jolo -fabrication of machines
-Mogpog, Marinduque -manufacture of ferroalloys
-Calatrava and -dry cell batteries
Kabankalan, Negros -disinfectants
Occidental -glass decolorizer
-Borongan, Samar -paints
-Guindulman and Anda,
Bohol Manganese sulfate Uses:
-chemical intermediate
-micronutrient in animal feeds and plant
fertilizers

Manganese metals Uses:

-important ingredient in coloring bricks and
ceramics
-alloys in copper and aluminum
-chemical oxidizer and catalyst

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 Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines
Iron Occurs as irregular bodies of
magnetite in contact
metasomatic deposits, as
magnetite sand, laterites, and
as banded iron in bogs and
springs.
Magnetite is one of the most
common ores of iron in the
Philippines
Gypsum A common rock-forming that
occurs in different varieties
such as selenite (crystalline
gypsum), alabaster (massive
gypsum), and satin spar
(fibrous gypsum)
Gold Observed to be more localized
along specific segments of the
Philippines Fault Zone and is
considered to be genetically
linked to island-arc activity
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-Mogpog, Marinduque Iron ore mixed with carbon = steel
-Agoo, La Union
-Central Cordillera -an important component of metallurgical
-Southern Sierra Madre products
-Eastern Bicol -magnets
-Samar -high frequency cores
-Diwata Range, Agusan -car parts as a catalyst
del Sur -manufacture of medicines
-Abra de Ilog and -tracer element in biochemical and
Mamburao, Occidental metallurgical research
Mindoro -paints
-Puerto Galera San -printing inks
Teodoro -plastics
-Baco, Oriental Mindoro -cosmetics
-Busuanga Peninsula -artist colors
-Malangas and Sibuguey, -laundry blue
Zamboanga del Sur -paper dyes
-Daguma Range, South -fertilizers
Cotabato -baked enamel finishes for cars and
appliances
-industrial finishes
-pigment in polishing compounds
-Lobo and Mabini, Gypsum Uses:
Batangas
-Toledo City, Cebu -used as retarder in Portland cement
-Buenavista, Marinduque -soil conditioner for agricultural lands
-Sanchez Mira, Cagayan -making plaster of Paris
and Ambaguio, Nueva
Vizcaya Alabaster Uses:
-Oas, Albay -ornamental stone
-Batalan, Camarines Sur
-Bulalacao and San Jose,
Occidental Mindoro
-Tayasan, Negros Oriental
Four Gold Districts:
-Baguio -jewelries
-Mankayan -good semiconductor for electronics and
-Camarines Norte electrical appliances
-Masbate -thread and used in embroidery
-in photography as toners and increase
Gold Province: color stability
-Eastern Mindanao -restorative dentistry
-reflective layer on some high-end compact
discs
 Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines
Feldspar The most common rock-
forming mineral on earth. It is
a major component of igneous
rocks (like diorite, quartz
diorite, trondhjemite, pumice,
and pegmatite dikes) and of
sedimentary rocks (arkosic
sandstone)
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-Cabangan, Sta. Cruz and
San Felipe, Zambales -ceramic, pottery, and glass industries
-T’boli (Mt. Parker), South -glaze in dinnerware, enamel ware,
Cotabato bathroom, and building tiles
-Sta. Fe, Nueva Ecija -as a flux that lowers the melting
-Atimonan, Quezon temperature of other materials
-Lubang Island (Looc), -component in soaps, abrasives, bond for
Occidental Mindoro abrasive wheels, cements, concretes,
-Pinamalayan, Oriental insulating materials, fertilizers, poultry grit,
Mindoro tarred roofing materials
-Pagudpud and Pasuquin, -sizing or filler material in textiles and
Ilocos Norte paper
-Porac, Pampanga
-Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija
-San Miguel, Bulacan
-Puerto Galera, Oriental
Mindoro
-Sar and Ajuy, Iloilo
-Iligan City (Ragongon),
Lanao del Norte
-San Ildefonso, Bulacan
-Paracale and Mambulao,
Camarines Norte
-Infanta, Pangasinan
-Tagkawayan, Quezon
-Quezon, Palawan
 Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines
Copper Occurs mostly as disseminated
Minerals stratified or lenticular deposits
or fillings in veins/ cracks in
basalt/ andesite and diorite-
granodiorite rocks
Chromite A source of chromium, is often
found as podiform or
disseminated deposits
associated with ultramafic
rocks such as harzburgite and
dunite of ophiolite complexes.
Chromite also occurs as
residual deposits.
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-Mankayan, Tubay (Sto. -in all electrical wirings in building
Nino) and Itogon construction
(Antamok), Benguet -power generation
-Lobo, Batangas -production of industrial machinery
-Toledo City (Lutopan), -in all electronic products and appliances
Cebu -heating and cooling systems
-Botolan and Cabangan, -telecommunication devices and gadgets
Zambales -essential component of motors of
-Mogpog (Ino and Pili) vehicles, radiators, connectors, brakes,
and Sta. Cruz (Tapian), bearings of cars and trucks
Marinduque -alloy casting
-San Mariano, Isabela -electroplated protective coatings
-Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya -undercoats for nickel, chromium, zinc
-Rapu-rapu Island, Albay -used in manufacture of cooking pans and
-Barlo, Pangasinan utensils
-Polillo Island, Quezon
-Jose Panganiban (Larap),
Camarines Norte
-Sipalay, Negros
Occidental
-Hinabangan, Samar
-Talibon, Samar
-Pasil (Batong Buhay),
Kalinga
-Maco (Masara),
Compostela Valley
-Masinloc and Sta. Cruz, -used in the production of stainless steel to
Zambales induce hardness, toughness, and chemical
-Llorente, Eastern Samar resistance
-Puerto Princesa and
Narra, Palawan Chromite forms alloy with Fe and Ni:
-Paluan, Sablayan and -used in making heating units such as
Lubang Island, Occidental ovens other appliances
Mindoro
-Loretto, Dinagat Chromium-bearing chemicals:
-Homonhon Island, -used in the tanning process of leather
Eastern Samar
-San Mariano and
Palanan, Isabela
-Impasug-ong, Bukidnon
 Metallic Ores and Industrial Minerals of the Philippines

Calcite It is a common constituent of -Mindoro, Palawan -in construction industry as cement raw
sedimentary rocks, especially -Agusan del Norte material
in limestone and marble -Catanduanes -in steel and glass industries as an acid
formations. It occurs as vein -Rizal neutralizer
minerals and sometimes as -Pollilo -in pharmaceutical industry as an
secondary minerals in rocks -Caramoan Peninsula ingredient of antacid tablets
-Cebu -in animal industry as feed additive
-Bohol -in mining industry as absorbent of harmful
-Negros gasses emitted by fossil fuels and as
-Leyte reducer of coal dust in the air
-Samar -component of paints, as cleaning and
whitening agent and as abrasive in
toothpaste

Sulfur Can be found as pure native
element and/or in sulfide and
sulfate minerals.
In the Philippines, pyrite is one
of the sources of sulfur.
Pyrite is rarely mined for its
content because the
associated sulfur
contaminates the iron and
renders it brittle and useless
for most applications.
Sulfur is usually associated
with volcanic areas and hot
springs. It also exists in salt
domes and in evaporites.
Sulfur Deposits: -manufacture of sulfur dioxide for the
-Camiguin Island paper industry
-Bacon, Sorsogon -sulfuric acid
-Tiwi, Albay -manufacture of fertilizers, animal feeds,
-Biliran Island cement, adhesives, slat blocks, explosives,
glass, fumigants, matches, inorganic
Pyrite Deposits: chemicals, natural rubber and steel
-Hinabangan (Bagacay), -in sugar and petroleum refining and soil
Samar amelioration
-Mankayan and Tuba, -in pharmaceutical industry
Benguet -essential ingredient in skin treatment
-Dupax, Nueva Ecija ointments, bar soaps, lotions and creams
-Jose Panganiban, -treatment of dandruff, acnes, scabies,
Camarines Norte seborrheic dermatitis, warts and other
-Sibalom, Antique common skin lesions
-Toledo City, Cebu

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