The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), has scheduled a public scoping from 20 to 21 May for the proposed Dangla nickel project in Quezon, Palawan, signaling a critical stage in gauging public sentiment on the venture’s environmental and social implications.
The scoping will allow Berong Nickel Corp. (BNC), the project proponent, to present an overview of the P560 million initiative and collect public concerns and relevant feedback. According to an EMB notice, the sessions aim to guide the permitting process by incorporating stakeholder perspectives early on.
BNC, a subsidiary of DMCI Mining Corp. under DMCI Holdings Inc., plans to extract 2 million wet metric tons (WMT) of nickel ore from a 650-hectare area using shallow surface mining. The company emphasized its commitment to responsible mining practices and noted it had already secured a Strategic Environmental Plan Clearance from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development in 2022.
In its project briefing, BNC highlighted both the commercial viability and broader economic impact of the project, projecting significant job creation across the development and operational phases. The company underscored that the site-specific nature of mineral extraction limits location flexibility, making stakeholder support vital for the project’s continuation.
The Dangla project follows the conclusion of BNC’s Berong mine, also in Quezon, which ceased operations in 2021 after extracting 10.3 million WMT of nickel ore and generating P2.6 billion revenue for government. Rehabilitation efforts at Berong are ongoing, backed by a P110 million fund.
Public engagement in the upcoming scoping is expected to shape the trajectory of the Dangla project, balancing commercial potential with environmental stewardship and local impact.
