In Dinapigue, Isabela, the story of mining is taking a creative turn. Where others see discarded glass and plastics, Dinapigue Mining Corporation (DMC) sees the building blocks of sustainability.
Inside its Material Recovery Facility (MRF), bottles and wrappers that would have likely ended up as waste are crushed, shredded, and given a second life as eco-bricks — a durable, low-cost construction material now used to line pathways at the mine site and in the local community.
So far, DMC has produced 48,000 eco-bricks, recycling 7 tons of glass bottles and 3 tons of plastics in the process.
“This is our way of showing that mining can transform and improve not just landscapes, but entire mindsets about waste,” said DMC Resident Mine Manager Engr. Edwin R. Casiano.
DMC also conducts information, education, and communication (IEC) sessions with its host and neighboring communities to share its best solid waste management practices, such as eco-brick manufacturing, making environmental protection a shared effort.
Beyond Extraction: Building Sustainability
The eco-bricks initiative is part of DMC’s broader approach to a circular economy, ensuring that waste from daily operations finds new life.
Complementing the company’s reforestation efforts, the program reinforces DMC’s goal of leaving behind not just rehabilitated land, but blueprints for sustainable development.
As a subsidiary of listed natural resources development company Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), DMC continues to prove that responsible mining can coexist with sustainable innovation.
The company maintains two on-site nurseries capable of hosting 300,000 seedlings, contributing to 1,352.86 hectares of green-offset plantations across Isabela, Cagayan, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya — equaling 1,099% more than its total disturbed area.
The company has also planted 731,896 seedlings both within and outside Dinapigue and has established 132.15 hectares of new plantations as part of its restoration and reforestation efforts.
Building Communities
Beyond its environmental milestones, DMC remains deeply invested in community development.
Through its Social Development and Management Program (SDMP), DMC has invested PHP 43.1 million since 2015 in initiatives that support education, health, infrastructure, and livelihood in its host and neighboring communities.
The company’s scholarship programs have also produced 27 graduates, some of whom now work with the company as professionals.
Recognition and Outlook
DMC is a two-time recipient of the Titanium Achievement Award under the Presidential Mineral Industry Environmental Award (PMIEA) in 2023 and 2024, recognizing its excellence in environmental protection, safety, and social responsibility.
“In mining, people tend to look at what is taken from the ground,” said Casiano. “We want to show what can be given back.”
Through its consistent focus on safety, environmental stewardship, and community development, Dinapigue Mining Corporation continues to demonstrate that responsible mining can indeed go beyond the pit, creating a legacy that is greener, stronger, and built to last.
