746 MINERAlS YEARBOOK, 1978-79 
 
68 1 million tons of 0 58% copper Develop- 1978 output) Philex 3 914 (5 085)
Atlas ment continued on the San Antonio mm 2 996 (3 379) Benguet Consolidated
2 703 eralized zone, 4 kilometers north of the (3,331); Lepanto, 2,368 (2,265);
and MarcopTapian pit ore production could begin in per 1 617 (2 283) Production
by each of the 1981 Marcopper is also the fifth largest remaining producers
was less than 700 gold producer and the third largest silver kilograms in
1978 and 1979 
producer in the Philippines Reserves of gold ore were estimated by Marinduque
Mining and Industrial Corp. the Philippine Bureau of Mines at 802 
operates the Sipalay and Bagacay Mines million tons assaying from 011 to
2057 under a 25-year lease from the Government; grams of gold per ton. Also
there are 24 the lease is renewable for an additional 25 known undeveloped
gold prospects totaling years Marinduque was planning an expan around 200
million tons Total rated ore sion of the Sipalay capacity from 18 000 tons
capacity is 203 million tons per year High per day to 30000 tons per day
The company er prices for gold offset the declining ore is the only nickel
producer and the fourth grade and high cost of production cited by largest
silver producer m the Philippines producers. Production costs for primary
and in also a producer of gold and molybde- producers were estimated to be
between num $4.82 and $5.78 per gram, or $150 to $180 Four new copper mining
projects were per ounce Gold production in the Philiponstreani at the end
of 1979 Sabena Mining pines was expected to increase at an aver Co. has a
production capacity of 10,000 tons age rate of 9%per year during 1979-82.

per day (tpd) at its Kamanlangan project in The gold and silver refinery
and mmt in Maco Davao del Norte CDCP Minmg Co ~ Quezon City of the Central
Bank of the 
 1 Philippines was commissioned m January 
projecL ~m iasay, i~egros ~rien~ as a 1978. The P222 million complex will
print production capacity of 10000 tpd Sabena the country s currency and
mint coins and and CDCP were newly organized copper was to refine the national
output of gold producmg firms Consolidated Mines began and silver Designed
capacity for the refin operating its 15000 ton per-day mo project ery was
600 000 troy ounces of gold (0990 to in Mogpog Marinduque and Benguet Con
0995 fineness) per year and 400 000 troy solidated s 17,000-ton-per-day Dizon
project ounces of silver (to 0.999 purity) per year. in San Marcelmo, Zambales.
However, initial installed capacity was 
 By the submission deadline of 500 pm 300 000 ounces for gold and 200 000
ounces August 15, 1979, Philippine Associated of silver 
Smelting and Refinery Corporation (PA- Gold refining by the Central Bank
(CB) SAR) received three bids for the construe- was mandatory, and all gold
produced was tion on a turn-key basis of the country s to be sold to the
CB. Secondary gold producfirst copper smelter and refmery. PASAR iS ers informed
the CB that copper concencomposed of 11 Philippine copper firms and trates,
including the precious metal values, the Government of the Philippines. The
were covered by existing smelting contracts bidding companies were Canada's
SNC Ltd.; with foreign companies. The Monetary the Anglo-Finnish consortium
of Davy Board then temporarily waived the requireMcKee International, Selection
Trust, and ment that gold output of secondary producOutokumpo Oy; and Japan's
Marubeni Cor- ers be sold to the CB at current market poration. The smelter-refinery
contract was prices. 
awarded to Marubeni, and the formal ratifi- Iron and Steel.—Production
of iron sands cation was scheduled for January 14, 1980, from beach mining
operations was banned in Tokyo. Construction cost for the copper in 1976.
About 100,000 tons of pyrite cinder facility, to be sited in Southern Leyte,
was have been produced annually from copper $250 million, including provisions
for con- operations in Bataan, Buluccan, Cebu, Pantingencies and cost escalation.
gasinan, and western Samar. The status of 
 GoId.—Production of gold was by 7 pri- developing the magnetite
deposit
in northmary producers and 11 secondary (bypro- em Lugon was unknown. Kawasaki
Steel duct) producers. Primary gold production Corp. operates its 5-million-ton-per-yearaccounts
for about 25% of the total output; capacity iron ore sintering plant in Villanthe
other 75% is byproduct recovery from ueva using imported ore from Australia,
other metal mining activity. Production by Brazil, and Canada, and domestically
mined the top five producers in 1979 was as follows limestone. Total output
of the plant is in kilograms (figures in parentheses are shipped to Kawasaki
facilities in Japan.