DMCI pours in over P160 million for Berong mine rehab

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September 7, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — DMCI Mining Corp. has invested more than P160 million for the rehabilitation of its Berong nickel mine in Palawan, as the company completes the work ahead of schedule.

The company has spent P168.3 million from June 2022 to August this year to complete restoration works in Quezon, Palawan.

DMCI Mining president Tulsi Das Reyes said rehabilitation for the decommissioned nickel mine is ahead of schedule and could be completed before its 2028 target.

“One of the things we’re doing is being very over-compliant there. This will be the first nickel mine site turned over to the government, so we want to excel,” he added.

The Berong site was the first approved Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan for a nickel mine in the country.

Reyes said the company could have completed the rehabilitation earlier but opted to fine-tune restoration works before it is handed over to the government.

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

DMCI Mining vice-president for operations Ramon Briones clarified that what is ahead of schedule is the completion of all earthworks at the site.

“But we are still continuously going to be planting up to the end of the rehab period,” he added.

Briones said 150,000 to 300,000 trees would still be planted in the rehabilitation site for the remainder of the scheduled completion.

He added that for the next two years, the company would also continue planting operations and monitoring of the rehabilitated area.

The Palawan mine spans 288 hectares under its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement. About 130 hectares were used for the company’s mining operations and seven hectares for supporting facilities. The remaining hectares were left undisturbed.

The company reported that more than 100 hectares have been rehabilitated, with restoration works ongoing across the remaining areas.

Reyes said the company would remain available after it has turned over the site to the government to ensure that the rehabilitation works out.

“We want to make sure it works. We have all intents and purposes to make sure it excels,” he added.

Among the plans for the rehabilitated site once turned over to the government are agroforestry, ecotourism and ecological restoration.