Mineral and Water

Resources
 Mineral and water
resources
These are just some of the natural resources the Philippines is
enriched with

Found in the earth’s crust.

To be useful, these raw materials must be extracted first from the

earth’s crust and converted/manufactured into different kinds of
products which
we USE in our everyday life
and HELP us in our everyday life

MINERAL RESOURCES: non-renewable

WATER RESOURCES: renewable

Mineral Resources
 Types of Mineral
Resources

Metals: Materials that are mined

Non-metals: Materials that are quarried; also called

industrial minerals

Mineral fuels (and other related materials)

 Types of Mineral Resources
(examples produced in the Philippines)

Metals (MINED): nickel, gold, copper,

iron, cobalt, silver, zinc, lead,
manganese, chromite

Non-metals (QUARRIED): limestone

(for cement), feldspar, perlite, salt
(marine), phosphate rock, clays, Sand
and gravel (incl. silica sand), Stone:
dolomite, limestone, marble, pumice, Metals

tuff, cinder

Mineral Fuels and other related

materials: Coal, Natural Gas, Crude Oil
http://mgb.gov.ph/images/
miningfactsandfiguresforwebsiteupdatedJuly2017.jpg
 Types of Mineral Resources
(examples produced in the Philippines)
Metals (MINED): nickel, GOLD,
copper, iron, cobalt, silver, zinc, lead,
manganese, chromite

Non-metals (QUARRIED): limestone

(for cement), feldspar, perlite, salt
(marine), phosphate rock, clays, Sand
and gravel (incl. silica sand), Stone:
dolomite, limestone, marble, pumice,
Metals
tuff, cinder
Mineral Fuels and other related
materials: Coal, Natural Gas, Crude Oil

Reserves are found in Masbate Province, according to BMG, 1990

 2014
Annual Capacity of Major operating
companies: Gold (kgs)

From 2014 Minerals Yearbook by USGS

 Philippines’ Mineral
Resources Ranking
Copper, Gold, Nickel - Phils. top mineral exports (to Japan,
China, Australia, Canada)

From 2014 Minerals Yearbook by USGS:

Nickel - 21% of the world production
Cobalt - 4% of the world production

In 2016, rank 1st in the NICKEL world production (USGS:

Mineral commodities summary, published 2018)

“Philippines ranked 5th top GOLD producer in Asia” -

(http://business.inquirer.net/219909/philippines-ranked-fifth-top-gold-producer-asia)
 Mineral Resources
Potential
From total land area of the Philippines of 30 Million
hectares:

9 Million hectares are high mineral potential sites

Only 2.5% covered by mining tenements (as of

May2017)

Has the potential to be TOP 10 largest mining power in

the world
 MINERALS IN
EVERYDAY LIFE
 Minerals in our everyday
life

From the moment we wake up, do our routines in the

morning, leave the house, go to work, perform our
jobs, and go back home we use mineral resources
 TALC POWDER: MIRROR: Si, DRINKING GLASS:
Talc, mica feldspar, Ag Felsdspar, Si, soda ash

PLASTIC SHOWER DEODORANT: Al

CURTAIN: TOOTHPASTE: FAUCET: Fe, Ni, Cr
petroleum product calcite, flourite,
barite
TILE:
clay, feldspar, talc,
mineral pigments
LIPSTICK/MAKEUP: POT: clays, metallic
PLUMBING: minerals for glaze
incl. clay mica talc Ls Cu clay
petroleum product

ABRASIVE
CLEANSER:
w/ Si or calcite
DANDRUFF
SHAMPOO:
Incl. coal tar, Li, clays, RUG: Ls, pet. prod.,
selenium TOILET: Clay, Si, Cu, Z
selenium petr. prod, borates
adapted fr: USGS: Minerals in our environment
 RADIO: Al, Cu, TOASTER: Cu, Fe, Ni MICROWAVE:
Au, Fe, petr. prod mica, Cr, petr. prod Cu, Au, Fe, Ni, Si

CLOCK: ELECTRICAL
Fe, Ni, Si WIRING: Al, Cu,
petr. prod petr. prod
PLATES:
clays, Si
feldspar
MAGNET:
Fe, Co

REFRIGERATOR: CUTLERY:
Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, Z, Fe, Ni, Ag, Cr
pet. prod
DISH RACK:
BLACKBOARD: clays pet. prod
CHALK: Ls, petr. prod.
STAINLESS STEEL
TABLE SALT: SINK: Fe, Cr, Ni STOVE: Al, Cu,
halite / sylvite Fe, Ni, Si
adapted fr: USGS: Minerals in our environment
 PENCIL: incl. COMPUTER: incl
graphite, clays Au, Fe, Ni, Si, Al WALL: cement, Fe
petr. prod PAINT: petr. prod
PENS: incl.
Ls, mica, clays TELEVISION: incl
Si, talc, petr. prod Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, Si,
REE, Sr
TELEPHONE: incl.
Cu, Au, petr. prod

DIGITAL CAMERA:
incl. Si, Z, Cu, Al, Au
petr. prod BOOKS:
incl.
Ls, clay
COMPACT DISC:
incl. Al, petr. prod

STEREO:
incl Au, METAL CHEST:
Fe, Ni, Be, CHAIR: incl. Al incl. Fe, Ni
petr. prod. pet. prod BRASS HANDLE:
adapted fr: USGS: Minerals in our environment
Cu, Z
 Construction of buildings,
infrastructures

Metals: nails, wire, galvanized roof, steel trusses, iron bars, pipes;
saw, hammer, hand drill, etc
Non-metals: cement, sand&gravel, dimension stones, glass
Mineral fuels: for power/ electricity for construction machines
 Materials in Appliances
and Electronics

Metals: Au, Ag, Fe, Ni, Al, Cu, Z, Pb, Cr

Non-Metals: Si, feldspar, soda ash
Mineral Fuels, etc: petroleum products in plastic
Stages of a mining
project
 Up to 20 years

Go or no go

Actual Extraction
 Stages of a mining
project (summary)
Before Mining Actual Mining After Mining

6. Final Mine
1. Exploration 5. Commercial
Rehabilitation/
2. Pre-feasibility Mining
Decommissioning
3. Feasibility
plan
4. Development dependent on
economics
7 to 17 years 2 to 50 years minimum of 10 yrs
PHILIPPINE MINING
LAWS
 “All lands of the public domains, waters, minerals,
coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of
potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber,
wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural
resources are are owned by the State… The
exploration, development, and utilization of natural
resources shall be under the full control and
supervision of the State.”

- Article XII, Sec. 2. National Economy and Patrimony,

1987 CONSTITUTION
“All mineral resources in public and private lands
within the territory and exclusive economic zone
of the Republic of the Philippines are owned by
the State. It shall be the responsibility of the
State to promote their rational exploration,
development, utilization and conservation
through the combined efforts of the Government
and private sector in order to enhance national
growth in a way that effectively safeguards the
environment and protects the rights of affected
communities.”

- Declaration of Policy, R.A. 7942,

Philippine Mining Act of 1995
Water Resources
 Importance of Water

Water is essential to Life

Water is needed for plants to grow and animals to

survive

60% of the human body is water

brain and heart, 73% water
lungs, 83% water
 Distribution
of Earth’s Waters
Oceans Fresh

3%

97%

71% of the earth is covered with water

 Distribution
of Earth’s Waters
Oceans
Fresh water

3%
97%
3%

97
%
 Distribution
of Earth’s Waters
3% Fresh water
Rivers, lakes,
atmospheric water,
soil moisture

1%
1%
22
%
77
%

77%
22%

Ice caps, glaciers Groundwater

Hydrologic Cycle
 Water Resources

Fresh surface water: Streams, lakes

Groundwater

Springs

Rainwater
Levels of water supply service in
the Philippines
(NEDA Board Resolution #12 Series of 1995)

LEVEL 1
• Point source: spring, well (without distribution system
• 15 household/source
• within 250 m radius

LEVEL 2
• Commercial faucet system
• Stand post piped system with commercial or public faucet
• 4-6 household/source
• within 25 m radius

LEVEL 3
• Individual house connections
 Rivers

Nowadays, only a few rivers

are pristine enough to be
used for drinking without
treatment

For recreation, cleaning,

irrigation

Many polluted rivers

 Rivers as water supply

Example: Angat - Ipo - La Angat Reservoir

Mesa Water system

Supplies most of Metro

Manila water requirements,
Level 3

Angat Reservoir supplies

irrigation and initially used for
hydroelectric power

Angat Dam
 Aroroy Water Supply

Water resources: Developed spring, dug well,

shallow well, deep well (From iWash report
2016)

Aroroy Water District covers only the central

district
• As of(Level
2015: 1)
✴2108 service connections
✴8898 population served
 Groundwater
as water supply

Shallow well: Dug well

 Groundwater
as water supply

Shallow well: with hand pump (jetmatic)

 Groundwater
as water supply
Springs

Developed spring
 Groundwater
as water supply
Deep wells

Artesian
well
 Underground water
VS Groundwater
UNDERGROUND WATER = All waters beneath the
ground

GROUNDWATER

Fresh water located in the saturated zone below the

water table

Stored in and transmitted through cracks or openings

in rocks and spaces between grains of sediments and
clastic rocks
 Distribution of
Underground Water
 Aquifer

A saturated permeable geologic unit that can

transmit appreciable quantities of water

A rock that is permeable enough to yield

economic quantities of water to wells
Rock Types
 Aquifer

Any type of rock may be an aquifer if it is porous

and permeable

Porous - when there are spaces between

particles, openings, fractures within itself

Permeable - if it can transmit water or water can

move within the rock
 Rock Types and
Groundwater Potential
Types of aquifers
 TYPES OF AQUIFERS
UNCONFINED AQUIFER OR
WATER TABLE AQUIFER

Bounded at the bottom by a

confining unit

Water table or phreatic surface:

W.L. is at atmospheric pressure

Recharge: downward percolation

through unsaturated zone;
upward seepage of underlying
strata possible
 TYPES OF AQUIFERS
CONFINED AQUIFER

bounded at top and bottom

by confining units

when penetrated by a well,

water RISES inside due to
pressure

PIEZOMETRIC WATER
LEVEL (also called
Potentiometric line / surface)
: level at which water rises
 TYPES OF AQUIFERS

PERCHED AQUIFER

Unconfined; with a
discontinuous confining unit

Local water table: usually

above the main/ regional
water table
Types of aquifers
 Aquifer Properties:
POROSITY
STORAGE PROPERTY

Occurrence of pores, voids, fractures

 Aquifer Properties:
POROSITY
PRIMARY: pores between
grains; bedding planes

SECONDARY: fractures,
solution channels; rock
movement along bedding
planes

Fractures may be enlarged

by water and create solution
channels, e.g., in limestones
 Aquifer Properties:
PERMEABILITY

Degree of interconnection of
voids in the material

Ability to transmit fluids

 Aquifer Examples
Sediment POROSITY % PERMEABILITY

Gravel 25 - 40 excellent

Sand 30 - 50 Good to excellent

Silt 35 - 50 moderate

From Plummer et al.(2003)

 Aquifer Examples

Rock POROSITY % PERMEABILITY

Conglomerate 10 - 30 Moderate to excellent

STORAGE
Sandstone PROPERTY
(ss), well-sorted, no 20 – 30 Good to very good

cement
Occurrence of pores, voids, fractures
ss, poorly sorted, cemented 0 - 10 Poor to moderate

limestone 0 - 20 Poor to good

Cavernous limestone Up to 50 excellent

Volcanic rock 0 - 50 Poor to excellent From Plummer et al.(2003)

 Confining Layers

Aquitard – saturated; stores, slowly transmits;

e.g. sandy clay layer

Aquiclude – stores, does NOT transmit; a

barrier; e.g. clay or shale

Aquifuge – does NOT store, NOT transmit; e.g.

solid rock with no fractures: unfractured basalt

From Plummer et al.(2003)

 Properties
of Confining Layers
Sediment POROSITY % PERMEABILITY

Clay 35 - 80 poor

Rock POROSITY % PERMEABILITY

Shale 0 - 30 Very poor to poor

Unfractured crystalline rock 0-5 Very poor

From Plummer et al.(2003)

 Springs, Seeps

Discharge areas, places where groundwater

moves out of sediments or rocks to the surface

SPRING: if flow is rapid and visible

SEEP : if flow is slow and diffuse

Springs
Depression spring:
intersection of the land
surface by the water
table

Contact spring: typically

arise at the lowest-lying
point of outcrop of the
stratigraphic contact
between an aquifer and
an underlying aquitard
Springs
Fault spring: a fault brings an
aquifer into contact with an
aquitard

Doline springs: only in karst

aquifers

Dolines are natural, vertical

shafts which can provide
highly permeable pathways
to the surface from deeply
flooded caves and other
conduits
Springs
 Water Code of the
Philippines (PD 1067 of 1976)
All waters belong to the State (even on top or below private
lands)

Through the National Water Resources Board, the

government controls the utilization, exploitation, development,
conservation and protection of water resources

WATER PERMIT - a document stating that a person or entity

has a water right or is allowed to appropriate and use of water.
The application for a water permit is filed with NWRB.
 Groundwater issues

Regional decline of water level

Reduced recharge

Sea water intrusion

Anthropogenic contamination
 Groundwater Level

What causes the decline of water level?

Reduced recharge
Increase in the number of water wells with large extraction rate
Continuous pumping of wells 24/7
 Groundwater
contamination

Natural contamination, e.g., natural arsenic,

India, Bangladesh, US

Anthropogenic sources of contamination

Anthropogenic sources of
contamination
Anthropogenic sources of
contamination
anthropogenic
contamination
Salt water intrusion
 Salt water intrusion

Continuous pumping of wells near coastal areas

Increased number of wells near the coastal

areas

Combined with decrease in recharge

Groundwater Protection,
where to start??

Locating new wells far from contamination

Locating point sources of contamination away

from existing wells

Buffer zone of protection around well sources

Properly abandon wells if not in use

A NATION THAT
FAILS TO PLAN
INTELLIGENTLY FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT
AND PROTECTION
OF ITS PRECIOUS
WATERS WILL BE
CONDEMNED TO
WITHER BECAUSE
OF ITS SHORT-
SIGHTEDNESS. THE
HARD LESSONS OF
HISTORY ARE
US Pres. L B Johnson,
CLEAR, WRITTEN ON
1908-1973