Nickel production seen to go down further in 2019

Nickel production is expected to decline further this year amid the government's order limiting areas to be mined.

Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) president Dante Bravo said the group saw lower production this year because miners' had limited areas where they could operate.

"For this year, it should be around [lower by] 10-20 percent," Bravo told reporters on the sidelines of Nickel Initiative conference on Tuesday in Taguig City.

He said the nickel industry was able to produce 30 million wet metric tons in 2018.

Last year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources released an order limiting mineral production areas depending on the mine's production volume.

The administrative order limits the areas to be mined by nickel miners to only 50 hectares if their production volume reached up to one million metric tons. Miners can mine up to 100 hectares if their output is more than nine million metric tons.

Bravo said a decline remains to be seen due to the DENR order as this "may lower the production because if you have limited area to operate you will loose potential volumes." —NB, GMA News