“Broken Promises ”Philippines Nickel Mining Causes Rights Abuses and Increases Climate Vulnerability" November 2025

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This report documents the human rights, environmental, and climate impacts of nickel mining in Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Island in the Caraga Region of Mindanao, the heart of the Philippines mining industry. It follows Climate Rights International’s previous reporting on abuses in Indonesia’s nickel industry, electric vehicle supply chains, and energy transition minerals. Climate Rights International interviewed 57 residents and workers living near nickel mines in the Caraga Region who reported:

• increased vulnerability to the climate crisis because of mining-related deforestation and pollution;
• the destruction of fishing and farming livelihoods;
• inadequate compensation for land;
• increased rates of food insecurity;
• water pollution that threatens access to drinking water;
• health problems related to mining and dust;
• new difficulties accessing education;
• a lack of accountability for harms; and
• attacks, killings, criminalization, and intimidation for those who speak out, including environmental and human rights defenders.

Multiple individuals, including a prominent anti-mining activist and a local politician, told Climate Rights International that they were informed that bounties had been put on their heads due to their anti-mining positions.

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The Caraga Region has 26 operating metallic mines, more than any other region in the Philippines. 23 of these are nickel mines. Harms to local communities and the environment are being driven by the individual and cumulative activities of nickel mining projects...

Because of the large number of mining concessions located close to each other, it can be difficult to attribute impacts to specific companies. Nevertheless, residents in Dinagat Island and Surigao del Sur often highlighted the role of specific companies and the impacts of their mining operations on communities and the environment.

Of the ten active nickel mines in Dinagat Island, people interviewed by Climate Rights International consistently identified three mining projects, operated by San Roque Metals Inc. (SRMI), Oriental Vision Mining Philippines Corp. (OVMPC), and Libjo Mining Corp. (LMC), as problematic.

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There are three primary ways that mining is making people more vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. First, mining operations drive deforestation and the loss of species that provide climate resilience, including both terrestrial forests and mangrove forests. Second, failures by mining companies to effectively manage their tailings and mining waste lead to increased siltation of river systems, and rivers choked with logs and mining tailings, which are more likely to overflow and flood nearby communities during heavy rain or other extreme weather events. Third, mining often poses negative economic impacts on local residents through the destruction of livelihoods, thus reducing people’s financial and economic capacity to prepare for and recover from climate events.

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Many residents in Surigao del Sur described how flooding events are becoming more frequent and severe due to the combined impacts of mining and the climate crisis.

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In Dinagat Island and Surigao del Sur, fisherfolk interviewed by Climate Rights International described how water pollution from mining areas has harmed fisheries and made it more difficult, if not impossible, for people to continue fishing. In almost all cases, people reported that their catch has decreased considerably since mining operations began. In addition, some fisherfolk reported having to go farther out to sea to catch fish, which is much more dangerous and costly.

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IX. Recommendations

To Philippines Authorities:

To the Philippines government:

• Stop the permitting of new nickel mines until the industry meets domestic and international environmental standards, including in the management of mine waste.
• Adopt, strengthen, and enforce national laws and regulations to prevent, minimize, and mitigate the environmental, climate and human rights harms to present and future generations caused by nickel mining and extractive waste.
• Ensure that nickel mining companies are fully compliant with Philippine laws and regulations and hold companies and company executives responsible for violations of environmental, climate, human rights, and other laws accountable, including through fines and cancellation of permits and licenses and criminal prosecutions.
• Fully implement the Guiding Principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals established in the 2024 report by the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals.

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To Downstream Users of Philippine Nickel:

To electric vehicle companies and battery companies:

• Require direct suppliers to disclose their full list of suppliers, as well as documentation that direct suppliers are implementing company policies on human rights, environmental and climate due diligence with their suppliers, and make that information about EV and battery supply chains publicly available and accessible.
• Conduct regular, transparent, and genuinely independent audits of mines and facilities where nickel and other transition minerals are mined and refined to ensure that suppliers are following procedures that protect and respect human rights of present and future generations and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, meet environmental standards, and don’t contribute to climate change.
• Leverage buying power to pressure mines and/or suppliers to change practices that cause severe damage to the climate system and environmental or human rights harm, and if necessary, stop sourcing nickel from producers engaged in human rights and environmental violations.
• Leverage buying power to pressure mines and/or suppliers to provide publicly available information on water and air quality in the areas surrounding their operations.

To Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, and Other Companies that import Philippine  nickel ore:

• Require direct suppliers to disclose their full list of suppliers, including relevant sub-contractors, and make information about supply chains publicly available and accessible.
• Develop policies that require all suppliers, including nickel mining companies and their sub-contractors, to practice human rights, environmental, labor, and climate due diligence.
• Conduct regular, transparent, and genuinely independent audits of mines and facilities where nickel and other transition minerals are mined and refined to ensure that suppliers are following procedures that protect and respect human rights of present and future generations and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, meet environmental standards, and don’t contribute to climate change.

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