Ipilan Nickel, A Nickel Mine in The Philippines, Was Approved To Operate Until 2025

The Philippine Bureau of Mines and Geosciences (MGB) has confirmed that the Mineral Resource Sharing Agreement (MPSA) 017-93-IV between the government and Ipilan Nickel Corp. (Ipilan Nickel) is valid until April 10, 2025.

On Feb. 23, Ipilan Nickel's parent company, Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. Said it would allow the subsidiary to "maintain its exclusive rights to conduct responsible mining operations in the city of Cape Brook, Palawan, which covers 2,835 hectares, of which 260 hectares have been partially declared as a mining area."

In response to a resolution submitted by the Town Council, MGB Regional Director Glen Marcelo C. Noble provided clarification in a Feb. 21 letter to Brooke Point Vice Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano.

The town council wants to investigate the operation of Ipilan Nickel after claims that its MPSA renewal in 2018 was not endorsed by the municipality or licensed by the National Council of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the reserve Management Committee.

Noble said the 1993 MPSA was amended in April 2000 to comply with the 1995 Philippine Mining Law. He added that NCIP permission was not required because it only applied to applications filed after the enactment of the Aboriginal Peoples Rights Act 1997.

Ipilan Nickel is said to have completed the process of obtaining NCIP certification in preparation for the renewal of its MPSA in 2025. Is waiting for the renewal of the mayor's permit because we have filed the necessary paperwork and complied with all laws and regulations, said Alex Arabis, mine manager at Ipilan Nickel.