• Aerial view of the nickel mining operation in Tumbagaan Island in Tawi-tawi
• Thick forests crown the open pit mine of the Altawitawi Nickel Corporation
• Workers in Tumbagaan Island sifting the soil
• The mine is close to the bountiful sea, raising concerns about its environmental impact
• Mining is in full swing, as these trucks and backhoes show
• The sweeping expanse of the nickel mining operations
• A worker checks the soil collected from the minesite
• Taking a breather from the heavy work
• A large swathe of the mountains has been cleared for the mining operations
• Backhoes pile the soil scraped from the earth into neat piles, ready for processing