BUSINESS

DMCI Mining vows going ‘above compliance’ in mine rehab

Berong Nickel Mine in Quezon, Palawan ceased operations in 2021 and is now under a six-year Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan, the first approved FMRDP for a nickel mine in the Philippines. Some P160 million in rehabilitation activities has been spent, planting nearly 352,000 seedlings with a 97-percent survival rate.

Mico Virata · Sep 5, 2026, 11:12 PM

BERONG Nickel Corporation’s rehabilitated mine site in Palawan showcases the progress of its six-year Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan, with around 100 hectares of previously disturbed land already restored as the company works toward completing the country’s first approved FMRDP for a nickel mine. — PHOTOGRAPH by Mico Virata for DAILY TRIBUNE

ABORLAN, Palawan — DMCI Mining Corp. is pushing to complete the rehabilitation of its former Berong nickel mine in Palawan ahead of schedule, saying it wants the site to demonstrate that responsible mining continues even after mineral production ends.

Tulsi Das C. Reyes, president and chief operating officer of DMCI Mining, said Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC) has deliberately gone beyond minimum rehabilitation requirements as the mining company prepares to eventually turn over the restored site to the government.

Ahead of schedule

“We’re actually ahead of schedule. One of the things we’re doing is being very over-compliant there,” he added.

Reyes said the company could technically complete the rehabilitation earlier, but it is taking additional time to ensure the work is fully finished before declaring the site rehabilitated.

“On paper, we could be done, but we’re not yet,” Reyes added. “We really want to fine-tune it and make sure that when we say we’re done, we’re done.”

Rehabilitation beyond more than just planting trees

The rehabilitation involves more than just replanting trees, covering slope stabilization, topsoil replacement, erosion and drainage control, ecological restoration and biodiversity monitoring.

Reyes said BNC is also consulting with the local government and coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as it works toward rehabilitation completion.

The company expects to formally turn over the rehabilitated site to the government after completing the program. But Reyes said DMCI Mining does not intend to completely cut ties with the area.

“Officially, yes, we’ll leave. But unofficially, we’ll still be around,” he said.

He added that the company wants to see how the local government manages the rehabilitated site and remains available to help ensure the restoration succeeds.