Originally posted at Business World Online on June 12, 2017 by Krista A. M. Montealegre.
THE MINING ARM of DMCI Holdings, Inc. is planning to resume shipment of nickel ore this month.
DMCI Mining Corp. President Cesar F. Simbulan, Jr. told reporters on June 3 the Consunji-led firm will ship 200,000 metric tons (MT) of nickel ore from its stockpiles in Palawan and Zambales, bulk of which will go to China.
“Sa June, makakaapat na kami na (In June, we will have four) shipment: two in Zambales and two in Berong,” Mr. Simbulan said.
DMCI Mining has approximately 300,000 tons of ore stockpile to dispose from its Zambales mine operations and another 128,000 tons in Palawan.
The miner has so far made three shipments of nickel ore in the first quarter, amounting to 158,000 tons from stockpile in Zambales, which translates to P299 million in revenues.
The company is targeting to ship a reduced 500,000 MT of nickel this year after abandoning the original target of 800,000 MT, citing the early onset of the rainy season.
DMCI Mining has two nickel subsidiaries — Berong Nickel Corporation (BNC) in Palawan, and Zambales Diversified Metals Corporation (BNC) in Zambales — which were issued suspension and closure orders by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under its former Secretary and staunch environmentalist Regina Paz L. Lopez.
Both companies have pending requests from the Office of the President seeking an exemption to the DENR’s memorandum order requiring suspended companies to shell out P2 million per hectare of “disturbed land” before getting a permit to transfer ore it already has in its inventory,
Administrative Order 22, issued on Oct. 11, 2011, sets rules for appeals to the Office of the President and provides in part that “[t]he execution of the decision/resolution/order appeal from is stayed upon the filing of the notice of appeal…”
When asked about when it will start production, Mr. Simbulan said: “Malapit na siguro ’yun (It looks like it will be soon).”
DMCI Mining is starting to rehire 1,000 workers that were dismissed following the suspension of operations in its two mines.
“’Yung mga tao bumabalik na sila saka masaya na sila lalo na sa Berong. ’Yun (mining) ang biggest game in town kasi napaka-remote unlike Zambales na maraming development (The workers have returned are happy, especially for Berong. Mining is the biggest game in town because it’s so remote, unlike in Zambales where there are many developments),” Mr. Simbulan said.
DMCI Holdings is the holding firm for the Consunji family’s interests in power generation, coal and nickel mining, property development, construction and water utility.