Two more mining firms have applied for government permits to mine Lingayen Gulf for magnetite, or black sand, prompting groups here to renew their opposition to what they described as “massive environmental destruction.” Records from the website of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) showed that Hong Kong-based Ferro Resources Corp. and Pangasinan Ferro Resources Corp. had pending applications for a financial or technical assistance agreement (FTAA) to conduct offshore mining. The two companies applied for an FTAA, which is a contract involving financial or technical assistance for large-scale exploration and development of natural resources, in October last year.

Sotelo, Y. (2022, April 22). 2 more firms seek permit to mine Lingayen Gulf. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A6.