Coal mining in the Philippines

Last updated
Panian mine in Semirara Island. Panian mine full.jpg
Panian mine in Semirara Island.

Coal mining in the Philippines has a long history dating back to the 1800s during the Spanish colonization of the islands. The Philippines consumes more coal than it can produce and coal accounts for most of the country's power generation at 27% in 2005. 20% of the country's coal supply is used by the cement industry, also in 2005. [1]

Contents

As of 31 September 2005, the in situ coal reserves of the Philippines amounts to 458 million metric tons which is about 18% of the country's total coal resource potential amounting 2.53 billion metric tons (2.49 billion long tons). [1]

75% of the country's coal supply composes of imported coal. In the 1990s, the country saw increase in the importation of coal due to large coal-fired power plants being built in the country designed to burn imported coal. [2]

Semirara Mining Corporation is the largest coal producer in the country whose primary mine is in Semirara Island. The company accounts for 92% of the country's coal production according to the Department of Energy. [3] [4]

Department of Energy (Philippines) Philippines

The Philippines' Department of Energy is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for preparing, integrating, manipulating, organizing, coordinating, supervising and controlling all plans, programs, projects and activities of the Government relative to energy exploration, development, utilization, distribution and conservation.

History

Early history

Coal was first discovered in the Philippine islands in 1827 in the island of Cebu although there was little interest from the Spanish colonial government or private individuals to exploit the resource until the arrival of steamships in the archipelago. In 17 October 1842, Governor General Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri issued a circular to alcaldes mayores and other provincial authorities regarding information about possible coal deposits in their area. While some areas report of coal deposits, there is minimal commercial exploitation of the resource. In the island of Cebu, where coal was first discovered in the islands, it was only in 1853 when the first coal concessions were granted in the island. [5]

The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain (1565–1898) and the United States (1898–1946), and briefly by Great Britain (1762–1764) and Japan (1942–1945). They were also the representative of the executive of the ruling power.

Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri Spanish general

Marcelino de Oraá Lecumberri (1788–1851) was a Spanish military man and administrator. Born in Beriáin in Navarre, he distinguished himself as a cadet during the War of Spanish Independence. He was married to Josefa de Erice, later Condesa de Chiva y Vizcondesa de Oráa.

Starting from 1853 until 1860, saw the development of the coal-mining industry in the islands especially in the island of Cebu. The colonial government effectively had a monopoly of the industry especially after the coal mine in Guila-Guila in Cebu was put under control of the state. [6]

Coal was first discovered in Cebu about 1837. There were 15 localities over the whole island, on both coast; some desultory mining had been carried out Naga near Mount Uling, but most serious operations were at Licos and Camansi west of Compostela and Danao. [7] Active work ceased about 1895 with insurrections, and no production worked for more than ten years. A topographic and geologic survey of Compostela, Danao and Carmen took place in 1906. [8] The Compostela-Danao coalfield contained about six million workable tons. The tramroads, one from Danao to Camansi, one from Compostela to Mount Licos, were undertaken in 1895, together with a wagon road built in 1877, from Cotcot to Dapdap.

Related Research Articles

Cebu Province in Central Visayas, Philippines

Cebu is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas (Region VII) region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. Its capital is Cebu City, the Queen City of the South, the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines, which is politically independent from the provincial government.

Negros Occidental Province in Western Visayas, Philippines

Negros Occidental, also known as Occidental Negros or Western Negros, is a province located in the region of Western Visayas, in the Philippines. It occupies the northwestern half of the large island of Negros, and borders Negros Oriental, which comprises the southeastern half. Known as the "Sugarbowl of the Philippines", Negros Occidental produces more than half the nation's sugar output.

Cebu City Highly Urbanized City in Central Visayas, Philippines

Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu, also known as the Queen City of the South, is a 1st class highly urbanized city of the island of Cebu in the Central Visayas Region, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 922,611 people, making it the fifth-most populated city in the nation and the most populous in the Visayas.

Davao Region Region in Mindanao, Philippines

Davao Region, formerly called Southern Mindanao, is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region XI. It is situated at the southeastern portion of Mindanao, comprising five provinces: Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao Occidental, the newly created province.

Toledo, Cebu City in Cebu province, Philippines

Toledo, officially the City of Toledo,, or simply known as Toledo City, is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 170,335 people.

Camotes Islands islands in the Camotes Sea, Philippines

Camotes Islands is a group of islands in the Camotes Sea, Philippines. Combined area is 236.36 kilometres (146.87 mi). The island group is located east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island, and north of Bohol Island. It is 34 nautical miles from Cebu City and is part of Cebu. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 102,996. Population has grown 34.3% since 1990, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 1.19%.

Paltik is a Filipino term for a homemade gun. It is usually manufactured using scrap metal and angle iron. These homemade weapons are usually manufactured in Danao, Cebu, where the production of replicas of known firearms is a cottage industry. The manufacturers claim to be able to replicate any gun, although they prefer to mass-produce six-cylinder .38 caliber revolvers. The Philippine government notes that these firearms are of low quality, even if some are considered as "Class A" or high quality. Danao has the most concentration of factories since the 1940s, but paltik production can also be found in Negros, Leyte, and Mindanao. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front were also known to produce paltik but were unable to upscale their production due to government pressure.

Compostela, Cebu Municipality of the Philippines in the province of Cebu

Compostela, officially the Municipality of Compostela,, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 47,898 people.

San Francisco, Cebu Municipality of the Philippines in the province of Cebu

San Francisco, officially the Municipality of San Francisco,, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 55,180 people.

Danao, Cebu City in Cebu province, Philippines

Danao, officially the City of Danao,, or simply known as Danao City, is a 3rd class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 136,471 people.

Caluya Municipality of the Philippines in the province of Antique

Caluya, officially the Municipality of Caluya,, is a 1st class municipality in the province of Antique, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 35,496 people.

Metro Cebu Metropolis in Central Visayas, Philippines

Metropolitan Cebu, or simply Metro Cebu,, is the main urban center of the province of Cebu in the Philippines. Metro Cebu is located along the central eastern portion of the island including the nearby island of Mactan. It accounts for 20 percent of the land area and 61.5 percent of the population of the entire island of Cebu.

Tourism in the Philippines

Tourism is an important sector for Philippine economy. In 2015, the travel and tourism industry contributed 10.6% to the country's GDP. Philippines is an archipelagic country composed of 7,641 islands with 82 provinces divided in 17 regions. The country is known for having its rich biodiversity as its main tourist attraction. Its beaches, heritage towns and monuments, mountains, rainforests, islands and diving spots are among the country's most popular tourist destinations. The country's rich historical and cultural heritage, including its festivals and indigenous traditions, are also one of the attractions of Philippines. Popular destinations among tourists are Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, Siargao, and many more.

Pugalo, Cebu Barangay in Central Visayas, Philippines

Pugalo is a barangay in Alcoy, Cebu, Philippines. It is known for its large deposit of dolomite mineral. With a size of 571 hectares of mining claims and an estimated balance of deposits at 220 million metric tons, since the extraction began in 1981, it is currently the biggest dolomite mining found in Asia. The mining company, Philippine Mining Service Corporation, is a private company wholly owned by JFE Mineral Company, part of JFE Steel Corporation of Japan.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu is a Roman Rite archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and one of the ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic Church in the country. It is composed of the entire civil province of Cebu. It is the Mother Church of the Philippines. The jurisdiction, Cebu, is considered as the fount of Christianity in the Far East.

Outline of the Philippines Overview of and topical guide to the Philippines

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Philippines:

Carlos A. Gothong Lines, popularly known as CAGLI and formerly once known as simply Gothong Lines, is a passenger and cargo ferry company based in Cebu, Philippines. CAGLI was formerly a part of WG&A SuperFerry, a company in January 1996 which served 23 major provincial ports throughout the Philippines and was the first domestic shipping company in the country to be certified by the International Safety Management Code standard. CAGLI, William Lines and Aboitiz Shipping formed was the biggest merger in the Philippine shipping industry.

Naga, Cebu City in Cebu province, Philippines

Naga, officially the City of Naga or simply known as Naga City, is a 5th class city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 115,750 people.

DMCI Homes is the real estate arm of DMCI Holdings through its wholly owned subsidiary DMCI Project Developers, Inc. (PDI). It was incorporated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 27, 1995. It ranked #146 in the Business World Top 1000 Corporations for 2014.

Panay Railways

Panay Railways Inc. is a government-owned and controlled corporation of the Philippines headquartered in La Paz, Iloilo City on the island of Panay. It is a subsidiary of Phividec Railways Inc. of the Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation (Philvedec). The railway current doesn't operate any trains but it leases the property that it owns and the revenue is used to defray the personnel and administrative costs incurred from looking after its assets.

References

  1. 1 2 "Energy Resources - Coal". Department of Energy. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "Coal in the Philippines". World Coal. Palladian Publications Ltd. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Case Study of Coal Mining on Semirara Island" (PDF). Philippine Movement for Climate Justice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  4. ↑ Macas, Trisha (17 July 2015). "FACTSHEET: The DMCI-owned Semirara Mining Corporation". GMA News. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  5. ↑ Burritt 1901, Chap Historical Sketch of the Discovery in the Philippines pp 8–10.
  6. ↑ Burritt 1901, Chap The Dawn of the Coal-Mining Industry 1853-1860 pp16–34.
  7. ↑ Abella y Casariego 1886.
  8. ↑ Smith 1907.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.