By Brix Lelis | The Philippine Star | August 13, 2025

This comes after DMCI Mining’s Berong Nickel Corp. signed a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its Long Point property. BusinessWorld / File

MANILA, Philippines — A subsidiary of Consunji-led DMCI Mining Corp. has secured from the government a 25-year exclusive right to explore, develop and utilize mineral resources in Palawan.

This comes after DMCI Mining’s Berong Nickel Corp. signed a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its Long Point property.

ADVERTISEMENT

Covering over 2,100 hectares, the MPSA is renewable for another 25 years and is set to take effect once registered with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

“The MPSA is not just about resource development; it’s about creating shared value with the people of Palawan through responsible mining,” DMCI Mining president Tulsi Das Reyes said.

Since last year, Berong Nickel was said to have invested around P1 billion for the Long Point project in the municipality of Aborlan.

ADVERTISEMENT

The investment covers fleet expansion, port infrastructure, ongoing exploration activities and pre-operating costs.

With operations targeted to start as early as October, the project has an annual production capacity of one million wet metric tons (WMT) under its existing environmental compliance certificate.

“We will work closely with our host communities to ensure development goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship and inclusive growth, guided by the same standards that shaped our operations and ongoing rehabilitation of the Berong mine in Quezon,” Reyes said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He was referring to the final mine rehabilitation and decommissioning plan for Berong Nickel’s mine site in Quezon, Palawan, the first of its kind approved in Region 4-B.

The program has reached the halfway point of its six-year timeline, with over 106 hectares of the mining site already rehabilitated.

Berong Nickel operated the Quezon mine from 2006 until its full resource depletion in December 2021, with post-mining activities continuing through 2023.

The mine site generated a total of 10.3 million WMT of nickel ore over its lifespan, the company noted.

Source: The Philippine Star

.