DMCI pours in over P160 million for Berong mine rehab

DMCI Mining Corp. has invested over P160 million to rehabilitate its Berong nickel mine in Palawan, completing the project ahead of schedule. The company spent a total of P168.3 million from June 2022 to August 2023 on restoration works in the Quezon area of Palawan. Tulsi Das Reyes, president of DMCI Mining, stated that the rehabilitation is ahead of schedule and could be finished before the target year of 2028.

He emphasized that the company wants to excel in this endeavor, as the Berong site was the first nickel mine in the country to receive a Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan approval. The president added that the company intentionally slowed down the process to fine-tune the restoration works before handing over the site to the government.

DMCI Mining vice-president for operations, Ramon Briones, clarified that the ahead-of-schedule completion refers to the earthworks, with tree planting still ongoing until the end of the rehabilitation period. Up to 300,000 trees will be planted in the rehabilitated site, with additional planting and monitoring operations planned for the next two years.

The 288-hectare Palawan mine, under a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement, has seen more than 100 hectares rehabilitated, with ongoing restoration works in the remaining areas. Once handed over to the government, plans for the rehabilitated land include agroforestry, ecotourism, and ecological restoration.