Philippines Mining Industry has Lost 138,000 Jobs

A top official from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Philippines announced 138,000 jobs were lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The MGB is now asking for the approval of President Duterte for a mining sector program intended to help bolster the Philippine economy.

Wilfredo Moncano, MGB director, said that approximately 138,000 jobs both in the metallic and non-metallic sector were temporarily lost during the first three months of COVID-19 lockdown. This figure has yet to include jobs lost in the small-scale mining sector.

Moncano added “Similar to other industries, the mining sector lost export production values, taxes not raised, employment losses, undelivered supplies, among others, for the three months that the mining companies were prevented from operating,”

“While it has been allowed to resume work now, the mining companies have to bear the strict health protocols issued by the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases),”

He stated the estimated export revenue lost during lockdown is valued at ₱14 billion.