Mining It is known that even before the colonizers came, Mambulao was already a flourishing mining town. It was the Spaniards, drawn by the rumor of immense gold deposits in the Mambulao-Paracale district, who mastered in exploring the gold mining potentials of these towns. From the 1750s to 1800s,
Paracale held the major Spanish mines, but due to its closure in the 1790s, its people were living in desultory gold washing, fishing and selling betel nut to Mambulao, which has now become the mining center. During that time, there were plenty of small shops but there's no rice fields and vegetable gardening. All necessities came from
Ambos Camarines and Tayabas (
Quezon). Fifteen years later, the mines of Mambulao were no longer open. There was still some haphazard gold washing by women of Indio Class whose husbands, it was alleged, gambled away their meager earning in card games run by the town mayor. But by 1818, the population was back to the levels of the 1790s and by the mid-1820s annual gold production levels ran as 3,200 ounces (90.7 kg.) worth Php. 44,000 at prevailing prices. By 1829,
Camarines Norte was considered to be wealthy and populous enough to warrant separation as province of its own for the first time. But after the 1840s the mining and population declined. Dr.
Fedor Jagor (in his book Travels in the Philippines and The former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes), a well known German traveler who visited Mambulao in 1859, reported that it was thinly populated and that the mining mania was already ruined. From 1837 to 1876 the population of Mambulao and Paracale decreased by 30%. From 1900 until the early twenties, Mambulao was a sleepy town, isolated from the other towns of Camarines Norte. During the gold bloom, it was dubbed as "Little Manila", due to flourishing business operated by
Filipinos,
Chinese,
Japanese,
Syrians and many others.
Dutch-born Filipino citizen Jan Hendrik Marsman operated two rich mines during the American occupation, a substantial dredging operation and the
Philippines only smelter located in the Mambulao- Paracale district. The population quadrupled between 1918 and 1938. One of the most notable mining company to operate in this municipality is the Philippine Iron Mines, then the largest iron mine in Asia. Mining companies operating in Jose Panganiban include: • Philippine Iron Mines (defunct) 1925 to 1975, then biggest iron mine in Asia • San Mauricio Mining Company (defunct) 1933 • Benguet Gold Mining Corporation (defunct) • Motherlode Mining Company (defunct) • J. G. Realty and Mining Company (defunct) 1987-1997 • Johson Gold Mining Corporation • Investwell Mining (mining arm of Isabelo Fonacier Mining) • Ferro Management and Consultancy Group Inc. (FMCGI) 2008
Jose Panganiban Special Economic Zones • JP-SEZ (1): Jose Panganiban SEZ, located in Barangay Osmeña, is a special economic zone created through Proclamation No. 1106 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on July 20, 2006. It consists of a total land area of three hundred sixty-one thousand seven hundred eleven (361,711) square meters and has its own private port registered at the Philippine Ports Authority. Magna-Kron Realty Philippines, Inc. is the current registered operator of the economic zone since 2018, succeeding Camnorte Ezone Realty, Inc. Magnakron Oleo Philippines, Inc. is a manufacturer of coconut-based ingredients and natural oil derivatives used for personal care (beauty and cosmetic products), consumer products, lubricants, fluids and oilfield, plastics, food and pharma, and, coatings, paints and inks. Primo Oleochemicals, Inc. and Pan Century Surfactants Inc. under the
Aditya Birla Group formerly operated in the area. • JP-SEZ (2): The second economic zone, located in Barangay Larap, was created under Proclamation No. 508 by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on December 2, 2003. It is operated by the municipal government of Jose Panganiban under the name Global Industrial/Maritime Complex and has a total area of 30 hectares. In February 2018, the municipal government of Jose Panganiban made a lease contract agreement with Penson & Company, Inc. to develop the area as a model community and jewel of urban development in the Bicol region. The area, expanded to a total of 230 hectares, will house the Larap Integrated Development Project. The Larap Integrated Development Project will be divided into four (4) major components which include the Airport Zone, Aero Entertainment Park, Town Center, and Industrial Zone. The project site is 5 kilometers away from the town proper. The project cost is estimated at PHP2,244,000,000.00. Resettlement issues such as loss of livelihood opportunities are the main concern about the project raised by the residents of Purok 7 of Barangay Larap. It is estimated that about 200 households will be affected by the project. The LGU of Jose Panganiban implemented a resettlement program to address the issue. The Larap Integrated Development Corporation (LIDC) has granted the LGU PHP20 million for the resettlement of the affected households. ==Tourism==