DMCI unit exceeds rehabilitation targets for Berong mine

The depleted Berong nickel mine in Quezon, Palawan under rehabilitation- contributed photo

MANILA  -Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC) made a significant stride in rehabilitating its nickel project in Palawan after exceeding targets this year, the Consunji family’s mining business said Thursday.

In a disclosure, DMCI Holdings Inc. said BNC has rehabilitated more than 30 hectares of Berong nickel mine in Quezon, Palawan in just six months. It is equivalent to 88 percent of its annual land preparation target of 34 hectares for 2023.

DMCI Mining Corp. would want to ensure the rehabilitation goes “beyond compliance” even if targets have been surpassed ahead of time, company president Tulsi Das Reyes also told reporters.

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BNC accelerated its erosion control and soil stabilization efforts by installing 672 coconets, nearly six times its annual target of 116. It also laid down 1,721 meters of geo-textiles which significantly enhanced the ecological stability of the areas under rehabilitation.

“We are fully committed to addressing our impacts on the environment and to our host communities. In our first year, we were able to exceed many of our rehabilitation targets,” Reyes said, adding: “The progress we have made in such a short time is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication.”

The Berong mine, one of the two operating nickel mining assets of DMCI Mining, opened in October 2006 and was fully depleted by December 2021.

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The mine’s rehabilitation program, which began in June last year, will run for six years.

To date, the nickel project has produced 10.3 million wet metric tons (WMT) of nickel ore and P2.6 billion worth of mining duties, royalties and taxes. It has also generated 1,634 direct and indirect jobs.