Lofty gold, silver prices boost metal output value
MANILA, Philippines – The country’s metal sector is expected to sustain momentum for the rest of this year after buoyant gold and silver prices boosted output value by more than 10 percent in the first nine months despite the decline in production volume.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (Comp) said the latest government data on metallic output supported its “cautiously positive outlook” for the rest of 2025.
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The group noted that mining operations in the country remained stable.
“With overall production value already ahead of last year, and with gold and silver buoyed by strong global prices and steady output, we expect the sector to maintain its momentum through year-end,” Comp chair Michael Toledo said in a Viber message on Tuesday.
“Overall, our outlook for the balance of 2025 is positive but measured, mindful of price volatility and other external factors as we continue to support national development and our host communities,” added Toledo.
The Comp said while nickel production may remain stable, copper consistently contributed to the overall volume, buoyed by strong demand. Prices, however, are sensitive to global manufacturing trends.
Metal output value climbed by 14.8 percent to P219.74 billion in the January to September period from P191.42 billion in the same period a year ago, based on data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
Nickel
Gold, silver and nickel direct shipping ore registered increases, while other metals declined.
The value of gold metal production rose by 28.9 percent to P117.42 billion, accounting for 53.4 percent of output value. This was even as during the reference period, production volume of this precious metal fell by 5.3 percent to 20,500 kilograms.
The value of silver output reached P2.13 billion, up 4.2 percent. It accounted for less than 1 percent of the total. The volume of silver production also decreased by 10.3 percent to 35,096 kilos. INQ
Nickel direct shipping ore production, meanwhile, was valued at P52.48 billion. This translated to a 23.9-percent share.
In terms of volume, output fell by 0.6 percent to 29.07 million dry metric tons.
