Why Philippine gold miners stay underground
Gold from the Philippines is mostly mined by hand—but rarely traded above board. With about 500,000 artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) producing 70% of the country’s gold, formalizing this fragmented sector remains a political, legal, and environmental quagmire. Research conducted by the World Gold Council in early 2025 highlights how underregulated gold processing plants […]