The mining and quarrying industry earned P213.8 billion in 2014, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The largest contributor for that year was the nickel-ore mining sector with over a third of the output of the industry.
Nickel-ore mining led all industries, producing P72.1 billion, or 33.7 percent of the total value of output.
“Value of output represents the sum of the receipts from products and by-products sold, income from industrial services done for others and goods sold in the same condition as purchased less the cost of goods sold,” the PSA said.
“[This includes] value of fixed assets produced on own account, and change in inventories of finished products and work in progress,” it added.
This was followed by the extraction of natural gas and copper-ore mining with respective output value of P63.5 billion, or 29.7 percent, and P31 billion, or 14.5 percent of the total.
The output of other industries such as mining of hard coal, reached P19.1 billion, or 8.9 percent; gold-ore mining, P12.4 billion, or 5.8 percent; and support activities for other mining and quarrying, P7 billion, or 3.2 percent of total.
Meanwhile, subsidies received by the sector amounted to P990.6 million in 2014. Subsidies included tax perks and other special grants.
Only two industries received subsidies—nickel-ore mining and gold-ore mining with P974.9 million, or 98.4 percent of the total, and P15,700, or 1.6 percent.
Data showed that in 2014 there were 256 establishments engaged in the mining and quarrying activities in the formal sector of the economy.
More than half, or 53.5 percent of the firms, around 137 establishments, employed 20 and over while the remaining 46.5 percent, or 119, were establishments with total employment of less than 20.
Among the industry subclasses, sand and gravel quarrying recorded the highest number of establishments with 57, or 22.3 percent of the total.
Gold-ore mining placed second with 34 establishments or 13.3 percent of the total. Nickel-ore mining and stone quarrying, clay and sand pits, n.e.c. posted third and fourth places with 26 establishments, or 10.2 percent, and 24 establishments, or 9.4 percent of the total, respectively.