RECENTLY, PRESIDENT Aquino cancelled more than 300 mining applications in Palawan. However, this is not enough to save Palawan from environmental destruction.
Palawan is known as the last ecological frontier of the Philippines. It has rich flora and fauna. It is home to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, a top nominee to become one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Ironically, the province hosts at least 10 large-scale mining projects such as the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining, Coral Bay Nickel Mining, Berong Nickel, Macroasia mining and MBMI mining projects. The total mining concessions cover around 38,149 hectares of Palawan, as of July 2010. Almost all mining concession areas are considered biodiversity-rich and environmentally critical.
We welcome the President’s decision to cancel the mining applications. However, this action has little effect on the Palawan environment since it does not stop the destruction and degradation already being done by the mining projects that are still operating in the island. Nor will the President’s decision save the province from more destruction that will be caused by the future activities of mining projects that have been approved but are not yet operating.
Also, the earlier move by the President to cancel some 500 mining applications all over the country does not automatically protect our environment. The cancellation of these permits and applications was done not because mining operations were destroying the environment or violating the human rights of the communities but because these permits and applications were either incomplete and aging or were just into speculation. They were revoked to free up the proposed mining areas for new mining firms that are serious about operating and are not just into speculation. This means that the moment these serious new mining companies are given the go signal to operate, more destruction is bound to come.
If he can do it in Palawan, then P-Noy should also lend his ears to and, more importantly, heed the calls in other provinces where the people have long been struggling against large-scale foreign mining.
At least nine other provinces have active struggles against mining. These are Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Romblon, Capiz and South Cotabato where a law banning open-pit mining approved by the provincial board is being blocked by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Large-scale foreign mining projects (including those approved but not yet functioning) all over the country should be cancelled in order to save not only Palawan but the whole country from environmental destruction and human rights violations caused by the mining operations.
—CLEMENTE BAUTISTA,
national coordinator,
Kalikasan People’s Network
for the Environment
(Kalikasan-PNE),
26 Matulungin St.,
Barangay Central,
Diliman, Quezon City