Before the end of 2011, the exploration team has focused on several deep and shallow scout drilling targets from the Minlasag area to Mt. Nanca. However, the scheduled scout drilling program was put on hold pending the resolution of legal and political issues leveled by the Zamboanga Del Norte provincial government against large-scale mining.
Exploration work at Sibutad Project, in Zamboanga del Norte, concentrated on areas between the boundaries of the municipalities of Rizal and Sibutad. Stream sediment survey and geologic mapping have identified the Mt. Nanca prospect–5 aerial kilometers Southeast of Sibutad Mine–as the most promising area for a deeply seated deposit of porphyry-type mineralization. This area and several more prospects adjoining it were subjected to soil geochemistry, test pitting, and trenching. The anomalous areas were then subjected to ground magnetics, induced polarization, and resistivity surveys.
Sibutad Mine is a good example of upland and lowland reforestation activities.
Under the Care and Maintenance Program, Sibutad Mine continuously maintains the reforestation, rehabilitation and other environmental measures in the site. As of December 2020, Sibutad has reforested a total of 228 hectares (upland and mangrove plantations) with 819,482 of various seedlings planted, and established 5.62 hectares of bamboo plantation with 1,867 bamboo seedlings planted.
The Sibutad Mine is a consistent awardee of the government’s Adopt-A-Mountain, Adopt-A-Mining Forest Program.
Over the years, the Company has been partnering with different stakeholders in order to make its development initiatives more purposeful.