The Cordillera Administrative Region is the Philippines' top mineral producer

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) together with Western Visayas and Southern Mindanao are considered the country's major players in mining with a combined contribution of 52 to 58 percent of the national income of the mining industry from 1997-1999. CAR is the country's major source of gold and copper and contributes about one-fifth or from 20.5 to 21.4 percent of the total Gross Value Added (GVA) for Mining.

In 1996, the region's estimated mineral reserves of 28.1 million MT of gold ore accounted for 25% of the country's reserve of 109.68 million MT. On copper, CAR contributed 3,628.9 million MT or 38.8% of the country's ore reserves of 1,410.6 million MT. These reserves include both probable and positive reserves. By 1998, CAR's estimated metallic reserves shot up to 37.3 million MT for gold and 1,409.8 million MT for copper.

 Metallic production reported by mining companies operating in CAR in 1998 amounted to P 5.23 billion (US$128 million). The bulk of production comes from gold, i.e., P 3.73 billion for gold (US$ 91.3 million) followed by copper at P 1.44 billion (US$35.24 million) and silver at P 0.065 billion.

 The region's non-metallic reserves such as limestone and sand and gravel materials are also found in economic quantities, which means these minerals are economically viable or profitable for mining operations. For instance, Irisan in Baguio City boasts of a reserve of about 1.07 million MT of limestone, which is being quarried by Benguet Management Corporation-Irisan Lime Project.

Mining, likewise, contributes to the country's foreign-exchange earnings through exports. From the country's total export earnings of P 26 billion pesos (US$636.32 million) of metallic and non-metallic minerals in 1998, CAR contributed about 18% or about P 4.7 billion. The region's major market destinations include England and Japan.