METALLICS

IRON Philippine iron deposits are classified into:

● A lustrous, ductile, Limestone or calcareous sediments are intruded by a younger intermediate to acidic pluton
A) SKARN
malleable, silver-gray MOST IMPORTANT IRON DEPOSITS IN THE PHILIPPINES
metal.
● 4th most common Deposit type consists of magnetite concentrations in beach and alluvial sand.
element in the earth’s B) MAGNETITE
crust. SAND Batas Pambansa Blg. 265 – “ An Act Prohibiting the Extraction of Gravel and Sand from
● 2nd most abundant Beaches and Providing Penalties Thereof” which was approved on Nov. 13, 1982.
metallic element. The deposits are of two types: nickeliferous and aluminous.
1. ultramafic rocks (e.g., dunite and peridotite) are nickeliferous as these rocks
PRINCIPAL IRON contain significant amounts of nickel that develop into silicate nickel ore
MINERALS: C) LATERITE
(garnierite)
Hematite( Varieties: 2. mafic rocks (e.g., gabbro and basalt) are high in alumina (Al2O3) bauxite or
Red Ochre – Red bauxitic clay forms.
Earthy luster, Sedimentary iron deposits are in the form of layers of hematite and/or magnetite
Specularite- Metallic d) sedimentary
interbedded with sediments.
luster) Magnetite ( Occur in small low-grade deposits with much manganese, phosphorus, water, clay, and
Lodestone), Limonite, e) bog
other impurities.
Goethite, Siderite.
f) spring Originated as spring emanations in Quaternary volcanic terranes.
LOCATION OPERATOR HOST ROCK AGE
SKARN
a. Larap Iron-Copper- Larap, Jose The oldest rock suite and host to Late Miocene age
Molybdenum skarn Panganiban, iron-base metal mineralization
deposit Camarines Norte consists of the metamorphosed
interbedded marls, calcareous
shales, arkoses, graywackes,
sandstones and conglomerates of
the Early Miocene age Universal
Formation or Tumbaga Formation
intruded by swarms of granodioritic
to monzonitic dikes related to a
diorite (Tamisan Diorite)stock sw
of the ore body.
b. Sta.Ines iron-skarn Santa Ines, Santa Ines Iron and Santa Ines Diorite intruded Late Eocece to
deposit Antipolo, Rizal Steel Corporation limestone and clastic rocks Middle Miocene
c. Lamin iron-skarn deposit Lammin, Carasi, Ilocandia Iron and Diorite and quartz diorite stocks Oligocene age
Ilocos Norte Smelting Incorporated
MAGNETITE SAND
Sta. Cruz and Agoo Sta. Cruz to Tagudin, The beach sand is fine to medium- Younger than
magnetite sand deposits Ilocos Sur and Agoo, grained. Magnetite occurs either Upper Miocene –
La Union as grains disseminated with other Pleistocene age.
alluvial minerals in the sand or
within distinct layers that are
subcentimeter to 2 cm thick. These
coastal areas are underlain by
clastic sedimentary rocks of Upper
Miocene – Pleistocene age.
Magnetite comes from the erosion
of older rock units in the Central
Cordillera.

Primary mineral:
Titanomagnetite
LATERITE IRON DEPOSITS
Laterite iron deposits of The reservation The laterite iron deposits are Pleistocene
the Surigao Mineral comprises the central
Reservations eastern portion of
Surigao peninsula
(Parcel I) in
northeastern Mindanao;
southern Dinagat,
Nonoc, Hinatuan and
Masepelid islands and
lesser isles (Parcel II);
northern Dinagat island
(Parcel III); and Siargao
and Bucas Grande
islands (Parcel IV)
SEDIMENTARY BEDDED IRON DEPOSIT
Camalaniugan Sedimentary Geographical name:
bedded iron deposit Bgy. .Camalaniugan,
Aparri, Cagayan (10 km
south of Aparri
Poblacion, Cagayan)
Central geographic
coordinates: 18°18’N,
121°37’E
SEDIMENTARY BOG IRON DEPOSIT
Taan sedimentary bog iron Geographical
deposit description: The deposit
lies at the southern
sector of Nueva
Vizcaya near the
provincial boundary of
Quezon and Nueva
Ecija. It is within the
interior highland of the
Sierra Madre
mountains.
Central geographic
coordinates: 15°38’N,
121°19’E
Nickel CLASSIFICATION OFDEPOSIT
● A silvery white, magnetic metallic NICKEL LATERITE
element used chiefly in making
alloys.
● A common by-product of nickel
laterite deposits is cobalt. NICKEL SULFIDES
● 22nd in natural abundance among Magmatic Nickel Sulfide Magmatic nickel sulfide is closely associated with chromitites and
elements in crustal rock. Deposit
Pricnipal Ore: Garnierite, Millerite,
Niccolite, Pentlandite, Pyrrhotite
Hydrothermal Nickel Sulfide
deposit
residual products of chemical
weathering of serpentinized
ultramafic rocks.
Limonite is the chief constituent
of the laterite iron ore while
hematite and magnetite occurs
in subordinate amounts.
The deposit formed within a
structural basin that probably
ponded into a lake. Iron supplied
into this basin originated from the
chemical weathering of
surrounding rocks, which shows
evidence of pyritization probably
brought about by dioritic intrusions.
Principal Ore: Hematite and
Limonite
The upper section of the Pliocene
Ilagan Sandstone hosts the iron
deposit. Overlying this unit in
probable unconformity is a flat-
lying, poorly consolidated
conglomerate, probably equivalent
to the Pleistocene Alat
Conglomerate
Principal Ore: Hematite and
Magnetite
derived from the weathering of underlying ultramafic rocks found
along the ophiolite belts of the country form the bulk of nickel
deposits.
Localities: Surigao, Palawan and Samar
platinum group elements (PGE).
Localities: Acoje, Sta. Cruz, Zambales
occurs in narrow silicified zones in serpentinite rock and in rocks
immediately adjacent to it. Known deposits are believed to be
 epithermal (i.e., formed at shallow depths).

Localities: Leyte and Ilocos Norte

Nickel laterite
LOCATION OPERATOR HOST ROCK AGE
Rio Tub nickel laterite Barangay Rio Tuba, Rio Tuba Nickel Ultramafic Member of thePalawan Late Cretaceous
deposit Bataraza, Palawan Corporation Ophiolite, consisting of the Mt.
(RTNMC) Beaufort ultramafics and the
Espina Formation

The in-situ weathering of the Mt.

Beaufort ultramafics resulted in the
concentration and enrichment of
nickel and cobalt in the preserved
laterite (soil) profile.
Hinatuan Island Geographical name: Hinatuan Mining ultramafic rock consists
nickel laterite Tagaba-an, Nonoc Corporation predominantly of harzburgite
deposit Island, Surigao del
Norte
Nonoc Island Nonoc Philnico Mining and Nickeliferous laterites are
nickel laterite Island, Surigao Industrial Corporation developed on the ultramafic rocks.
deposit del Norte
Limonite Type
Adlay-Cadianao- Carrascal, QNI Ltd. The nickel laterites are developed
Tandawa (ACT) Surigao del Sur on the ultramafic rocks bordering
Project the eastern portions of Surigao del
Norte

The main nickel ore is limonite and

garnierite
MAGMATIC NICKEL
Acoje magmatic nickel Sitio Pasicar, Sta. Cruz, Acoje Mining Corp. The nickel sulfide lenses are
sulfide deposit Zambales hosted primarily by the black dunite
facies.

Nickel sulfide mineralization is

dominated by pentlandite although
some occurrence of heazlewoodite
and godlevskite were also noted.
EPITHERMAL NICKEL
Jaro deposit Minulho, Jaro Leyte Nickel sulfides occur along silicified Pliocene-
shear zones in the serpentinite as Pleistocene
individual grains and as colloform volcanism
bands

The mineralization is being linked

with Pliocene-Pleistocene
volcanism.

Limonite zone. The limonite zone, as the term implies, is composed predominantly of iron clay minerals. It is usually capped by reddish-brown
soil with low nickel content. Most often, this capping, termed as overburden in mining parlance, is low in nickel but rich in iron as manifested by
the presence of iron pisolites or hard caps. As this material progresses downward, the color usually turns into various shades of yellow and
brown (Zone 2, the accumulation zone). It is still rich in iron but the nickel values are now relatively higher than the upper portion. The limonite
zone exhibits plasticity and highly porous. Slightly weathered boulders of the bedrock most often appear in the lower portion of the limonite zone.
Saprolite zone. The contact between the limonite and the saprolite (Zone 4) may be gradational or sharp. Depending on the intensity of
weathering and laterite development, the saprolite may have variable thickness even in one confined area. This thickness range from less than a
meter to more than 8 meters. The saprolite is colored with various shades of green mixed with hues of yellow and brown. It turns into various
shades of blue, gray to black as it approaches the bedrock. The iron content becomes sharply and significantly less than in the limonite zone
while the magnesium content progressively becomes richer at depth. The higher ore grade is believed to be due to the downward migration of
nickel which eventually settles along the numerous cracks in the saprolite. The ubiquitous green coatings along fractures are often due to
garnierite, a high grade

Chromium CLASSIFICATION OF PRIMARY PODIFORM (Orthomagmatic)

● 21st in natural abundance among the elements in crustal CHROMITE DEPOSIT
rocks. chrome to iron ratio (Cr:Fe)
PRIMARY PODIFORM (Orthomagmatic) CHROMITE DEPOSITS metallurgical (2.4-3.2:1)
The chromite deposits generally occur within the ultramafic portions refractory (1.8-2.3:1)
of ophiolite complexes. Peridotite rocks that host the mineralization OPHIOLITE BELTS (Alpine- Type)
are harzburgite, dunite, and cumulate ultramafic-mafic layers 1) Zambales Ophiolite
2) Casiguran Ophiolite
3) Angat Ophiolite
4) Eastern Bicol-Eastern Mindanao Ophiolite
5) Western Bicol-Eastern Leyte Ophiolite
RESIDUAL AND TRANSPORTED CHROMITE DEPOSITS
6) Central Mindanao Ophiolite
The chromite deposits in laterite and alluvial/beach placer sands are
7) Antique Ophiolite
associated with ultramafic exposures.
8) Zamboanga-Sulu Ophiolite
9) Palawan Ophiolite.

A complete ophiolite consists of a continuous sequence from top to

bottom of metamorphic peridotite, cumulate peridotite, pyroxenite, dunite,
chert, spilite, and conformable pelagic sediments that are collectively
thought to represent oceanic crust and upper mantle material.
LOCATION OPERATOR GEOLOGY AGE

Acoje orthomagmatic Pascal, Sta. Acoje Mining Corp. Metallurgical chromite

podiform chromite
deposit
Coto orthomagmatic
podiform chromite
deposit
Krominco orthomagmatic
stratiform deposits
Samar lateritic (residual)
chromite deposit
Cruz, mineralization at Acoje
Zambales; generally occurs as pods,
and lenses within the
dunite horizon and the
basal cumulate mafic
sequence.
Baloganan, Masinloc, Consolidated The deposit occurs within
Zambales Mines, Inc. and operated the Coto Block
by Benguet of the Zambales Ophiolite
Corporation Complex.
Dinagat Is., Krominco, Incorporated The chromitite bodies
Surigao del Norte appear as pseudobedded
deposits associated with
the dunite unit of the
Dinagat ophiolite
Llorente, Hernani and Co-owned by Pacific Chromite occurs mainly
McArthur, Samar Shore Mining and Rio as (i) residual
Chico Mining corporations concentrations in laterites,
(ii) sand as transported
alluvial lateritic material
deposited in flat areas
near the shore and in
karsted limestone areas,
and (iii) primary chromite
as densely disseminated
bands and massive
lenses in serpenti-nized
bedrock.
Batang-Batang alluvial Narra, Palawan, Philcrome Quaternary beach
chromite and chromite sand Mining sediments adjacent to the
deposit Corporation exposed ultramfaic
complex of the Palawan
Ophiolite

MANGANESE
● a silver-gray, brittle metallic element
used principally in making alloys
● 12th in abundance among elements in
the earth's crust.
ORE: Rhodocrosite, Franklinite, Psilomelane/
Romanechite, Hausmannite, Braunite, Rhodonite,
Alabandite, Manganite
Ukraine
is the world’s leading producer of high-grade
manganese ore, followed by Georgia, South
Africa, Brazil, and Gabon.
CLASSIFICATION
Primary ( Volcanic-sedimentary) Manganese Deposits
Primary manganese deposits of volcanic-sedimentary origin are those deposits associated
with : a) submarine volcanic rocks and chert ; b) tuff and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks and
some chert ; and c) chert only.
Secondary (Residual) Manganese Deposits
These deposits are formed by the weathering and reconcentration of manganese from
primary bedded manganese oxides.

Most of the manganese deposits of commercial

importance are confined in a belt
between 45º north latitude and 25º south latitude.
LOCATION OPERATOR GEOLOGY AGE
Primary sedimentary and Anda Peninsula , Bohol New Frontier Mines, Inc. Manganese ore
epigenetic deposits and mineralization at the Anda
secondary(residual) Peninsula offers a low
grade residual deposits
that consist of fined-
grained manganese oxide
particles that range in size
from 0.2 to 5 centimeters
in size containing an
average of 20 percent
manganese.
Sedimentary Madulag, Baler, Aurora Central Mining The manganese
Corporation. deposits appear to consist
of tabular to lenticular
through pockety
bodies ranging from a few
centimeters to about 3.5
meters thick.
Primary sedimentary Coron , Busuanga
deposit Island, Palawan
Residual type Barangay Camangue
Lolloken, Municipality of
Enrique Villanueva,
Siquijor Island, Negros
Oriental
Sedimentary and residual Bawang,Jiabong ,
deposit Western Samar
Jordan Mining and Manganese occurs as
Industrial Corporation intertonguing layers
and/or bedded with chert
and jasper.
Badillo Mining This residual
Corporation concentration of
manganese ore consists
of 1 – 2 meters thick
sandstones impregnated
with manganese oxide of
the Basac Formation. The
ore occurs on
the surface as beds,
stringers, scattered
pebbles and boulders.
The sedimentary deposit
consists of tabular to
lenticular body in
tuffaceous limestone and
chert of Cretaceous
formation.

Copper Porphyry Copper

● a brownish-red metallic element,
● 25th most abundant element in crustal rocks.
Principal Ore: Chalcopyrite and Bornite, Chalcocite, Covellite,
Malachite,Azurite and Chrysocolla.
In the Philippines, the principal sources of copper are porphyry
copper deposits associated with dioritic to quartz dioritic and
granodioritic stocks and batholiths occurring in major arcs of the
Philippines.
● dioritic to quartz dioritic and granodioritic stocks and batholiths
They are distributed over a wide age range:
Cretaceous in Cebu, Oligocene in Nueva Vizcaya and southeastern Negros,
Late Miocene to Pliocene in the Luzon Central Cordillera.
Epithermal/mesothermal vein-type
● Late Miocene to Pliocene.
VMS
Kuroko-Type- These are strata-bound polymetallic mineral deposits
genetically related to submarine acid volcanic activity
Cyprus- Type- The Cyprus-type refers to the massive sulfide base metal
sulfide ores associated with rocks of mafic-ultramafic association of
ophiolitic affinity
Besshi- Type- The description for the Besshi- or Kieslager-type copper
deposits is that of stratabound massive cupriferous iron sulfide deposits,
bed-like or lenticular in form, that lie conformably in crystalline schists
(Kanehira and Tatsumi, 1970). It is now recognized, however, that these
types of deposits are simply metamorphosed VMS deposits, of either the
Kuroko or Cyprus types
Vein- Type Copper
volcanic-hosted Cu-As-Sb veins – HS veins
mafic/ultramafic-hosted chalcopyrite-pyrrhotitepyrite-quartz veins

Copper Skarn- Skarns are rocks consisting of Ca-Fe-Mg-Mn silicates

formed by the replacement of carbonate-bearing rocks accompanied by
regional or contact metamorphism and metasomatism, in response to the
emplacement of intrusives of varying compositions.
PORPHYRY COPPER
LOCATION OPERATOR HOST ROCK AGE
Sto. Tomas II Padcal, Tuba, Benguet Philex Mining Corporation hornblende quartz
diorite porphyry,
Far Southeast Mankayan, Beguet Lepanto Consolidated Quartz diorite
Mining porphyry stock
Dinkidi Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Climax Mining Corporation dark Diorite Middle Miocene.
Vizcaya
San Antonio Sta.Cruz, Marinduque Marcopper Mining granodioritic to quartz
Corporation dioritic
Carmen Brgys. Atlas Consolidated Lutopandiorite and
Toledo and Mining and Development intruded rocks.
Biga, Toledo Corporation
City, Cebu
Kingking Lawaan,PantuKan, (NADECOR) diorite intrusive complex Miocene diorite intrusives.
Compostela Valley partly by the intruded
metamorphosed volcanics
Batong-buhay Pasil, Kalinga diorite body
Boyungan Silangan Mindanao
Mining Corporation
VMS DEPOSITS
LOCATION OPERATOR HOST ROCK AGE
Ungay-Malobago- Besshi Pacolbon,Rapu-Rapu, Rapu-Rapu Minerals Inc. altered dacitic volcanic Middle to Late Cretaceous.
Type Albay Prov layers that are closely
associated with
intercalated quartzo-
feldspathic (felsic)
schists.
Hixbar- Besshi Karog-kog, Rapu-Rapu, Hixbar Gold Mining Co. same same
Albay Province /Nielsen and Company
Canatuan Sitio Canatuan, Bgy. TVI Resource Tungauan schists
Tabayo, Siocon, Development
Zamboanga del Norte (Philippines), Inc.
Bagacay Hinabangan, Samar
Sulat Lonoy and Bonot, Sulat, Trident Mining and dacitic rocks
Eastern Samar Industrial Corp.
HIGH SULFIDATION EPITHERMAL
Tampakan Tampakan, South Sagittarius Mines Mineralization in the area
Cotabato Incorporated is hosted by a sequence of
intermediate to alkali
volcanics and
subvolcanics, which are
intruded by rocks of wide
range compositions.
Mineralization style is that
of an two earlier porphyry
copper events telescoped
by a highsulfidation
epithermal Cu-Au deposit.
The two porphyry Cu
phases are hosted,
respectively younging age,
to quartz diorite and
hornblende-biotite diorite.
SKARN
Bessemer Larap, Jose Panganiban, Ore mineralization is
Camarines Norte largely confined within the
skarn zone. Higher grade
bodies are in the form of
beds roughly parallel to the
skarn-shale (hornfels)
contact at the footwall
GOLD
● beauty and resistance to corrosion, most ductile and
malleable
● 75th in order of abundance among the elemen
● Green gold used in jewelry contains copper and silver;
white gold contains zinc and nickel, or platinum metals.
● Chlorauric acid is used in photography for tonin silver
images.
● Potassium gold cyanide is used in electrogilding.
● The naturally occurring gold-silver alloy is called electrum.
Gold also occurs in telluride (tellurium-bearing) minerals
such as calaverite and sylvanite along with silver, and in
the mineral nagyagite along with lead, antimony, and
sulfur. It occurs with mercury as gold amalgam. It may be
occasionally present in the sulfide minerals pyrite, galena
and sphalerite. Seawater also contains gold of up to 9
billion metric tons, but its recovery is yet to be
economically feasible
SILVER
● This white, lustrous metallic element conducts heat and electricity
better than any other metal.
● It is next to gold in terms of malleability and ductility.
● It is harder than gold but softer than copper.
● 66th among elements in terms of natural abundance in the earth’s
crust.
● Colloidal silver, dilute solutions of silver nitrate (AgNO3), and
some insoluble compounds, such as potassium, are used in
medicine as antiseptics and bactericides.
● Argyrol, a silver-protein compound, is a local antiseptic for the
eyes, ears, nose, and throat.
● cerargyrite (or horn silver), pyrargyrite, sylvanite, and argentite.

GEOLOGY AND OCCURENCES

● tensional splays oblique to the Philippine fault zone
● Two major magmatic arcs, the Western Luzon and Eastern Philippine arcs, are the most prolific gold producers in the country.

The gold districts are

(1) Baguio-Mankayan gold district along the Philippine gold deposits may be genetically divided into two groups:
western flank of Luzon Central Cordillera; 1. primary-hypogene gold-silver deposits
(2) Camarines Norte Gold District of southeastern Luzon; and 2. secondary-supergene deposits
(3) Masbate Gold district in northwestern Masbate Island.
(4) The gold province is the Eastern Mindanao Gold Province
consisting of three gold districts, namely, Surigao Gold District,
Central Gold District, and Masara Gold District.
NON METALLICS

Industrial minerals and manufacturing materials including cement raw materials, ceramics and
refractory raw materials are dealt with in this chapter. These minerals and materials are as follows:

ASBESTOS
-Asbestos though considered
a significant industrial mineral
utilized in fireproofing,
insulation, brake linings and
asbestos cement early in
1980’s is now considered non- Bangui and Burgos,
commercial due to its
carcinogenic property.
CLASSIFICATION :
▪ Shingles
▪ Paper
▪ plaster
LOCALITIES
Ilocos Norte; Aguilar and
Mangatarem,
Pangasinan; Botolan,
Cabangan, San Felipe
and San Marcelino,
Zambales; Abra de Ilog,
Mindoro Occidental;
Antique; Misamis
Oriental and Bukidnon

▪ refuse grade

▪ Asbestos
▪ Feldspar
▪ Talc
▪ Barite
▪ Gypsum
▪ Cement raw materials
▪ Bentonite
▪ Limestone
▪ Ceramic raw material
▪ Clay
▪ Magnesite
▪ Refractory raw materials
▪ Diatomite
▪ Perlite
▪ Zeolite
▪ Dolomite
▪ Silica
BARITE LOCALITIES

Barite is an inert, heavy and Mabilog na Bundok,

stable mineral; hence, it is Lobo, Batangas and in
also called heavy spar. Mansalay, Oriental
Oftentimes, it is white, Mindoro
opaque and twinned, though
impurities render the mineral
different colors like buff, gray
and reddish. Barite is
produced and sold in several
forms: jig concentrate, crude
lumps, ground barite, or
flotation concentrate.
BENTONITE CLASSIFICATION:

Bentonite is clay consisting predominantly of 1. SWELLING TYPE

minerals of the smectite group.
Bentonite is an important mineral commodity
used in foundry molding sands, drilling mud,
bentonite slurries for sealing porous strata and
stoppage of water movement in foundations for
buildings, tunnels and dams, iron ore pelletizing,
bleaching oils and fats, carriers for insecticides
and pesticides, and as component of paints,
pharmaceuticals, medicines and cosmetics.
Commercial bentonite deposits are formed by
alteration of fine-grained volcanic debris
deposited over relatively large areas. Other
bentonite deposits are formed by insitu
hydrothermal alteration of coarse-grained
intrusive rocks.
They expand considerably, from 15 to 20 times
of the original volume of dry material in
water and contain sodium as
predominant exchangeable ion.
2. Non Swelling Tyoe
This type has negligible swelling and carries
calcium as its principal exchangeable ion.
***Bentonites in the Philippines are generally
of the nonswelling type, the bulk of
which is classified as fuller’s earth.
LOCALITIES
Pangasinan, Cagayan,
Nueva Ecija, Batangas,
Quezon , Albay, Cebu,
Leyte, Davao del Norte,

GYPSUM LIMESTONE
Carbonate rocks are extremely common and make
Gypsum is a hydrous calcium sulphate up approximately 15% of the sedimentary
(CaSO4.2H2O) containing 20 percent water. It column. They occur extensively in the Philippine
is obtained either from naturally occurring archipelago and vary in age from Cretaceous to
gypsum-bearing ores or from fertilizer Recent.
manufacturing, as by-products. At present, the
expanded production capacity of most cement The cement industry is the largest consumer of
plants in the country requires large volume of limestone.
gypsum as cement retarder. Likewise, the
manufacturing industry has greater need for
gypsum in the fabrication of fireproof gypsum
board now proliferating among high-rise malls
and condominiums.

LOCALITIES:
Over the country, the known gypsum
deposits are disposed in four (4) provinces:
Batangas, Albay, Camarines Sur and Negros
Oriental.
CLAY CLASSIFICATION:

Clay is an earthy substance consisting chiefly 1. RESIDUAL

of hydrous aluminum silicates with colloidal These deposits are widely distributed in the
material and specks of rock fragments, which country. Many of these clay deposits are
generally become plastic when wet and stone-like formed from the chemical weathering of
when fired. feldspar-rich rocks.

The biggest reserves of siliceous clay in the
islands were formed by the residual alteration
of chloritic schists in Siruma, Camarines Sur.
Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Abra, Benguet, Nueva
Ecija, Pangasinan, Zambalez, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna,
Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur,
Sorsogon, Albay, Marinduque, Romblon, Negros
Occidental, Iloilo, Panay, Antique, Surigao del Sur,
Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon and Zamboanga del Sur
and in Zamboanga City.

2. TRANSPORTED
Transported clays are formed by accumulation in
sites such as swamps and basins of clayey
materials transported by water

DIATOMITE FELDSPAR
Feldspar is the general term for the group of rock-
Diatomite or “diatomaceous earth“ consists forming minerals that are essentially anhydrous
mainly of siliceous shells or skeletons of single- aluminum silicates. It is an important material in
celled organisms called diatoms. It is composed the production of glass, fired clay products, and
essentially of hydrated amorphous or opalline enamel paints.
silica with varying amounts of contaminant
materials such as silica sand, clays, salts and
organic matter. Related to intrusions

LOCALITIES:
Diatomite deposits are in Pantabangan and
Caranglan, Nueva Ecija; Basud, Camarines
Norte; Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte; and in
Quezon, Bukidnon.
MAGNESITE PERLITE
Perlite is a hydrated silicic volcanic glass, which
Magnesite, a natural form of magnesium generally has a characteristic “onion-skin” or
carbonate with ideal magnesia content of 47.60 perlitic texture and a pearly luster. When
percent, is an important source of magnesium for expanded or bloated by shock calcination, perlite
industrial purposes. Magnesium is an essential forms an inert mass with an open texture having
element in plant and animal metabolism, and is low bulk density, low thermal conductivity, high
added to animal feeds in the form of caustic- sound absorption and fire-resistance.
calcined magnesia.

LOCALITIES: LOCALITIES:
Lupon, Mati, Puntalinao, and Banay-banay,Perlite deposits are found in Calayan Island, Cagayan;
Davao Oriental; small deposits are in Sibuyan Baao, Camarines Sur; and in Maslog, Taysan,
Island, Romblon. . and Puro, Legazpi City

SILICA TALC
Talc is a layer-lattice mineral with the following
Silica or silicon dioxide (SiO2) commonly occurs composition, Mg3Si4O10- (OH)2. It is the softest
as mineral quartz in varied forms; as veins and common mineral with hardness of one (1) on
lenses of bull quartz, as sand, pebbles, cobbles Moh’s scale of hardness. Its cleavage flakes are
and boulders, and as siliceous clays flexible but not elastic. It occurs in low to medium
metamorphosed basic or ultrabasic rocks and in
About 85% of silica sand are utilized in glass place, constitutes the greater part of the rock,
manufacture producing the material known as steatite or
soapstone.
CLASSIFICATION:
1.Silica in rock form ( Mindoro)
2.Silica in fragmental form ( Tagkawayan LOCALITIES:
Quezon) Abra, de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental; Marangas, Brooke’s
3. Siliceous clays ( Siruma Peninsula, Point, Palawan and in Cabangan, Zambales.
Camarines Sur)

ALUMINUM MOLYBDENUM

The main source of aluminum is bauxite, a Molybdenum occurs chiefly as a secondary or

mixture of gibbsite (Al(OH)3), diaspore accessory metal in porphyry copper and copper
(AlO(OH)), and boehmite (AlO(OH)). Bauxite skarn deposits in the Philippines, although it has
varies in colors from reddish-brown, white, tan, to also been documented to occur elsewhere in
tan-yellow. It has dull to earthy luster and can quartz veins, pegmatites and bedded
look like clay or soil. Bauxite forms when silica in sedimentary deposits.
aluminum-bearing rocks (with high feldspar Philippine porphyry copper deposits and prospects
content) is washed away (leached). range from gold-rich, molybdenumpoor deposits
The major producer of aluminum ore is Australia, to relatively molybdenum-rich, gold-poor end
which is said to produce over 40% of the world’s
reserves. Brazil, Papua New Guinea, and
Jamaica are also important producers. About
85% of all the bauxite mined worldwide is used to
produce alumina for refining into aluminum metal.
Another 10% of the alumina produced is used in
the manufacture of chemical, abrasive, and
refractory products. The remaining 5% is used to
make abrasives, refractory materials, and
aluminum compounds.
members. These molybdenum-rich deposits are
found in the provinces of Larap, Polillo Island,
and Southern Negros while the molybdenum-
deficient deposits are in Baguio and Cebu. The
molybdenum-rich, gold-deficient deposit in
southwestern Negros (Binulig, Sipalay, Aya-Aya)
contains 0.01% Mo with 1 ppm Au. The central
Cebu porphyry copper mineralization is
characterized by relatively high contents of both
molybdenum and gold.

Bauxite in the Philippines is commonly associated

with karsted limestone and lateritic terranes.

LOCALITIES:
These include Batag Island, Hinabangan,
Corcord, Guiuan, and Western Samar, Nonoc
Island, Bucas Grande

MERCURY
The term “native mercury” is used for natural mercury found associated with the mineral cinnabar.
Locality : Central Palawan

“Zambales Jade” Deposits, Zambales

It contains sharply crystallized dodecahedral crystals of garnet, uvarovite, xenoblastic feldspar,
minor diopside and sphene that lie in a granoblastic mosaic of quartz and plagioclase. This
hornfelsic rock is composed of 67% feldspar (potash and plagioclase), 18% quartz, 10% garnet;
4% sphene, and 3% diopside.

“Mindoro Jade” Deposit, Occidental Mindoro

It is composed of 40% muscovite, 50% sericite, 5% apatite and traces of quartz, calcite and
chlorite. The gemstone is petrologically termed green mica schist due to the presence of abundant
sericite.

Dasol Jasper Deposit, Pangasinan

 The deposit is in San Vicente, Mabini and Barlo, Dasol. Early prospectors used this jasper
deposit as a guide in determining the relative stratigraphic location of massive sulfide bodies. The
inhabitants use the jasper as sharpening stone or as aggregate for building materials. Later, this
jasper was found to be of good gem quality, thus paving the way for exploitation

Moss Opal Deposit, Ilocos Norte

The moss opal deposit occurs as veins and lenses within fractures, cavities and flow layers of andesite.
The moss opal is milky white to brown, containing iron oxide in a moss or fernlike pattern.