DMCI’s Berong Nickel secures MPSA for Palawan mine
DMCI Mining Corp. has secured a contract to develop another mine site in Palawan, expanding its footprint in the province.
Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC), a subsidiary of DMCI Mining, has signed a mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) for its Long Point mine in Aborlan town.
The Long Point project is slated to start operations by the fourth quarter of this year, parent firm DMCI Holdings Corp. said in a statement on Tuesday.
The MPSA between BNC and the MGB covers 2,177.34 hectares, with an initial term of 25 years and renewable for an additional 25 years. The agreement will take effect once registered with the MGB.
An MPSA grants a contractor the exclusive right to explore, develop and utilize mineral resources within the contract area.
The government retains ownership of the minerals, while the contractor provides the financing, technology, management and personnel for the mining project.
“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.
“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,” added Reyes.
BNC has invested about P1 billion in the mining project for fleet expansion, port infrastructure, ongoing exploration activities and preoperating costs.
DMCI Holdings, however, said it does not anticipate “any significant additional investments” before the mine site jump-starts operations. The parent firm said “the necessary infrastructure and fleet are already in place to support production.”
Upon completion, the Long Point mine will create more than 1,000 jobs. Its priority is to hire from local indigenous and nearby communities.
The firm said several candidates are undergoing training as operators and drivers of equipment and vehicles, in preparation for full-time roles at the mine site.
So far, the Long Point mine has secured an environmental compliance certificate for an annual production capacity of one million wet metric tons (WMT) of ore.
Long Point is one of the projects under DMCI Mining, which primarily exports nickel ore to China and other overseas markets.
Currently, the company operates two mines in Santa Cruz, Zambales and is actively developing new sites in Palawan.
BNC had lodged a proposal to pursue the P560.18-million Dangla Nickel Project in Quezon town, also in Palawan.
Spanning 650.66 hectares of land that straddles Barangays Berong and Aramaywan, Dangla has an estimated extraction rate of 2 million WMT.
