Lepanto profit more than doubles as gold, silver prices surge
Yap-led Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. more than doubled its consolidated net income to ₱1.59 billion in the first half of 2026 from the ₱771 million earned in the same period last year as gold and silver prices surged in the world market.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the firm said it produced 10,931 ounces (oz) of gold and 21,346 oz of silver during the first six months of the year, resulting in a 47-percent jump in consolidated gross revenues to ₱3.24 billion from ₱2.2 billion in the same period last year.
The average gold price surged to $4,684.40 per ounce (oz) from $3,084.80 an oz, while the silver price more than doubled to an average of $80.66 per oz from $32.94 per oz last year. The peso also weakened to ₱59.97 from ₱57.06 to the United States (US) dollar, further boosting revenues.
“We continue to produce from the Victoria and Teresa orebodies. Efforts to further improve productivity and metal recoveries through equipment upgrades or rehabilitation continue. There are five active rigs drilling for both grade control and exploration with encouraging results,” Lepanto said.
Last July 30, Lepanto and subsidiary Far Southeast Gold Resources Inc. (FSGRI) executed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the indigenous peoples (IPs) of Mankayan ancestral domain, signifying the granting to Lepanto and FSGRI of free and prior informed consent (FPIC) by the host indigenous cultural communities (ICCs)/IPs for the renewal of MPSA 001-90-CAR.
The MOA will have a term of 25 years and was signed with the municipal mayor of Mankayan, Benguet province and the duly elected elders or leaders of each of the 12 barangays of Mankayan town, and witnessed by other local government unit (LGU) officials of Mankayan and representatives from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
The MOA will be submitted to the NCIP for approval, which will be in the form of a certification precondition that, in turn, will be submitted to the MGB for the renewal of MPSA 001. - James A. Loyola