Record
The mining record
A chronology, not a campaign. Dated events with named sources, and nothing asserted beyond them.
A gold and copper project covering roughly 1,164 hectares in Lobo, Batangas has held mineral production sharing agreement MPSA 176-2002-IV since 2002. It has been endorsed and then un-endorsed by the municipal council, refused an environmental compliance certificate in 2016, and extended by two years in May 2025. As of 2026 it is not in production and both the definitive mine plan and the ECC remain outstanding.
Chronology
| Date | Event | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | MPSA 176-2002-IV granted to Egerton Gold Philippines. Lobo property about 1,164 ha. | balikas.net | SECONDARY |
| October 2006 | DENR issues exploration permits | Inquirer | VERIFIED |
| April 2015 | Lobo Sangguniang Bayan Resolution 2015-26 endorses the project | Manila Bulletin | SECONDARY |
| 20 July 2015 | Lobo council revokes endorsement, citing social unacceptability | Bulatlat | VERIFIED |
| December 2016 | DENR Secretary Regina Lopez rejects the ECC application | BusinessMirror | VERIFIED |
| May 2024 | Definitive mine plan and feasibility, and EIS work, underway | Bluebird Mining Ventures filings | SECONDARY |
| May 2025 | Two-year MPSA extension | Bluebird filings | SECONDARY |
| 8 July 2025 | Bluebird executes monetisation agreement; 10% profit share over life of mine | Bluebird RNS via Investegate | SECONDARY |
| As of 2026 | Project not in production. Definitive mine plan and ECC still outstanding. | Bluebird filings | SECONDARY |
Why this page exists
The project is the single most contested subject in recent Lobo public life, and coverage of it is split between mining-company filings and advocacy reporting. Neither is a record. This page keeps the dates and the sources in one place so a reader can form their own view.
What is not claimed here
We do not state whether the project should proceed. We do not publish employment, production, tax or environmental projections, because every figure of that kind we have found originates with an interested party. Items sourced to company filings or single news reports are marked secondary.
Context
The relevant environmental context is the Verde Island Passage, which Lobo's coastline fronts, and the four local marine conservation areas described on the diving page. Updates to this chronology are dated on the build log.
Questions
- Is there a gold mine in Lobo, Batangas?
- Not in production. A gold and copper project covering about 1,164 hectares has held a mineral production sharing agreement since 2002, but as of 2026 the definitive mine plan and the environmental compliance certificate remain outstanding and no mining is taking place.
- What happened to the Lobo mining project?
- The Lobo council endorsed it in April 2015, then revoked that endorsement in July 2015 citing social unacceptability. In December 2016 the DENR rejected the environmental compliance certificate application. Feasibility and environmental impact work resumed later, and the agreement was extended by two years in May 2025.
- Does mining affect the Verde Island Passage?
- The project sits inland from a coastline that fronts the Verde Island Passage, and the risk to that water is the central argument in local opposition. No production has occurred, so there is no measured operational impact to report.
Lobo, Batangas · 13°38′50″N 121°12′37″E · PSGC 0401015000
Edition 0 · Revised 27 JUL 2026