DMCI Mining subsidiary Berong Nickel Corporation (BNC) signed a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its 2,177-hectare Long Point property in Aborlan, Palawan.
The agreement, signed on Aug. 8, gives BNC exclusive rights to explore, develop and utilize mineral resources at the site for 25 years, renewable for another 25 years.
The deal, which was approved through the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), takes effect upon registration with the MGB.
“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 the ongoing rehabilitation of the Berong mine in Quezon,” DMCI Mining president Tulsi Das Reyes said in a statement.
BNC said it has invested about P1 billion in the Long Point project since 2024, covering fleet expansion, port facilities, exploration and pre-operating costs.
The mine has an environmental compliance certificate for an annual output of 1 million wet metric tons (WMT), with operations targeted to start in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The project is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, with priority hiring for local indigenous peoples and nearby communities.
BNC said its sustainability record in Palawan includes the first approved Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan (FMRDP) in the MIMAROPA region for its former Berong mine in Quezon.
The program has so far rehabilitated over 106 hectares, planted 522,600 native seedlings and more than 1 million mangroves, and rescued and released nearly 1,700 sea turtles.
The Quezon mine, which operated from 2006 until its depletion in December 2021, produced 10.3 million WMT of nickel ore, created 1,634 jobs, and contributed 2.8 billion pesos in mining duties, social development programs, royalties and taxes.
